Lady Ribyyn of Hadic
by MagixPawn
Summary: Ribyyn of Hadic is not your typical female. As a noble-turned-thief, she must deal with everything from love and heartbreak to street gangs. And then there's still the little matter of her past. *COMPLETE*
1. Attack

A/N: I felt I needed a break from Myles's Class, so I wrote this. At the moment, I'm not even quite sure of it's title, or what it's about, or even if it will ever get finished and posted, but I really wanted a break from history class. Wait, I lied. I know what it's about now...

I apologize for grammar or spelling mistakes. If you like the story, I'll go through and pick them out.

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce.

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 1 - Attack (How original.)_

"Ribyyn!" Sienna, the Lady of Hadic - and Ribyyn's step-mother - cried out. "Ribyyn! This is not funny! Come out right now!"

Ribyyn looked out from her hiding space in the wall and stifled a giggle when Lady Sienna turned towards her. Her face matched the royal purple of the draperies that hung in the library. The woman's brown eyes blazed with anger and her ears steamed, though Ribyyn knew that was realistically impossible. Her step-mother screamed for her again, and then finally, after giving an infuriated cry, whirled around and then stomped down the hallway calling for Ribyyn's father.

When Ribyyn could no longer hear her screaming she let out the giggles that she had withheld, no longer listening for passers-by.

***

Darin Smith was a servant at Fief Hadic. He was also fifteen, and the eldest son of the local blacksmith. It was Darin who was expected to take over the practice when his father retired from it. However, he didn't want it. He hated smithing and was determined to escape his fate of being eternally bound to a pair of bellows and a hot poker.

He grumbled as he walked down the hall, and ran a hand through his curly blonde hair. In his other hand he carried a note addressed to Lord Jamison of Hadic. The handwriting was plain, as was the paper, but the seal said differently. It was the royal seal of Tortall.

Turning down a hall to his right he thought he heard a faint giggling. He paused to listen, and his thoughts were confirmed. Someone was definitely giggling, but when he looked around, he was the only one in the hall. Listening harder, he followed the sound, until he realized that it came from inside the walls.

"Ghosts," he whispered to himself. The giggling stopped and he heard someone taking gasping breaths, as if they'd been laughing hard and long. And then just as suddenly as it had stopped, it started again. Gradually, the laughing became familiar to Darin, and he soon realized where he'd heard it before. Lady Ribyyn was hiding inside the walls.

Darin raised a fist and pounded on the wall. The laughing stopped and she screamed. And afterwards; silence. "Ribyyn," Darin said, a grin on his face, "I know that's you."

There was a heavy sigh, and then a crackling as the wall slid away to reveal a small space that only a girl of Ribyyn's size or smaller could crawl into. However, as she shoved the wall aside more, he realized that it was actually much larger than that.

"Darin," Ribyyn said, a faint smile playing on her lips, "You ought not to scare me like that."

Darin merely grinned and looked down at the girl. She may have been thirteen, but she looked like she was ten. Her dark hair was plaited in two braids that started right behind her ears. Her large blue eyes gazed up at him. She had all the grace of a noble lady, and she wore the clothes, but it was spoiled by the fact that she was on her hands and knees. Putting down a hand for her, she accepted it and he pulled her up.

"What were you doing in there?"

"Hiding from Lady Sienna." Darin raised a brow. "She wanted me to try on new gowns. I didn't feel like it!"

"You could probably hear her screaming in Carthak. You shouldn't anger her so," he scolded. Ribyyn's only response was to roll her eyes. She was about to say that if Lady Sienna didn't want to deal with her, then she never should have married Lord Jamison. Ribyyn wasn't particularly fond of either her father or her step-mother. Her own mother had died at childbirth, and Ribyyn now had three younger half-brothers that her father was far more doting upon than either her or her elder brother, Kalvin.

But alas, her smart mouth never got to say anything, for a sudden shriek echoed down the halls. The breaking of glass and banging of doors resonated throughout the cold passageways and the two teenagers heard more cries in all directions. There was another shriek, which was undoubtedly Ribyyn's step-mother, and Ribyyn responded by covering her ears.

"What's going on?" she cried out to Darin who winced as another scream echoed down the hall. He shook his head as if to say he wasn't sure. He glanced out a window in the hallway, and saw flames rising from beyond the castle wall. _But it's not even bonfire night,_ he thought to himself, and then stopped. _It's not even night._ As he continued to watch he saw figures climbing over the wall and jumping off. Arrows whizzed by and, slowly, it dawned on Darin that Fief Hadic was being raided.

Ribyyn watched Darin closely and then turned to see what seemed to have him so amazed. Her eyes widened in shock. She watched the arrows fly by, some of them aflame, some of the whistling. Some had a golden sheen, but most were just a blur. There was a crash as a burning arrow hit the window and broke it. Ribyyn screamed and Darin jumped, and it was then that the two finally acknowledged what danger they were in. They had to get out.

Darin grabbed Ribyyn's arm and dragged her down the hall, but clanging and cries of death came from that direction. Darin stopped as he realized that no matter where they went, they were trapped. Just as he become conscious this he saw four marauders come out from the stairwell. Ribyyn whimpered and cried out in fear. Whirling around, Darin saw that more raiders had come up from the other side. They were surrounded. (A/N: But as usual, the author has creatively put in a hiding spot!)

Darin tightened his grasp on the girl's arm and shoved her back into her hole. He gripped the stone wall and began pushing it back into place, but Ribyyn's hand clutched his sleeve. "Darin, you can't leave me here!" she cried out in terror. He paused to look at her and knew that she was entirely right. He sighed and ducked into the hiding space. Quickly, they shoved the wall back into place. Outside the hidey-hole Darin and Ribyyn could hear the marauders cursing in Scanran and Gallan.

Darin glanced over at Ribyyn, and then reached out to pull her into a brotherly hug. She curled up against him and he could feel her tears wet his shirt. He stroked her hair and whispered to her. "We'll be alright Rib. Honest. We're safe now." Darin could only pray that he was right.

A/N: I'm not sure if action is my thing. But whatever. If you like it, review and tell me to continue. If you don't, review and tell me I suck and that I should stick to what I'm good at - like short stories. No doubt I'll get writers block in the middle of this story...

Ribyyn's such a wuss. She better get braver, elsewise this story is going to go nowhere. 


	2. Leaving

A/N: Continuing this story due to the two lovely reviews I got (And it's been posted for all of six hours!). Plus I'm bored. And I left Ribyyn looking highly vulnerable, which she was, and wish to remedy her highly wussie attitude. I therefore, must continue the story to at least the fourth chapter...or wherever.

Okay...when I started this I had two reviews. Now I have seven. Thanks to all!

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce.

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 2 - Leaving (Another creative title!)_

Ribyyn awoke on the cold stone floor and found that she could not open her eyes. After a few moments, she realized that her eyes already _were_ open, so therefore she was either blind or in a dark room. She heard a whimper, and once again, it took her brain a few moments to register exactly what it was and where it came from. It came from her.

"Ribyyn? Are you up?" She sighed with relief when she recognized Darin's voice.

"Yes." She sat up slowly. "Do you think they've gone?" Silence. "Darin?"

"Hush," he whispered, slipping a hand over her mouth. She jumped, unaware that he had been right next to her. "Listen." She strained her ears and heard footsteps, and then a harsh voice speaking Scanran. Ribyyn was able to pick out only a few words, mainly the ones her brother had taught her; the ones a lady shouldn't know. "They're still there," Darin whispered into her ear.

_Well that much was obvious,_ she thought to herself. She reached up and moved his hand away from her face. "There's another way out," she whispered back. "Come on. This way." She grabbed his hand and lead him off through the dark tunnel. "Keep your right hand on the wall," she told him, "And then just keep crawling until I tell you otherwise." Together the two teenagers crawled on their hands and knees through the dirty passageways.

***

It wasn't until much later, when Darin could feel the calluses forming on his palms and when the knees of his breeches were wearing thin, that they stopped. Well, Ribyyn stopped; Darin merely ran into her.

"Ow," he swore violently as he rubbed his nose.

"Shush! You're going to get us caught if they're out there." Darin quieted, but still swore silently to himself. Meanwhile, Ribyyn looked for the stone that would move the wall aside. Her hands slipped into the hold and she pushed on the wall with all her might. Slowly the wall moved aside.

Darin squinted as bright light flooded into the small passageway. Inhaling the clean air, he gagged when he found it wasn't quite as clean as he expected it to be. The smell of death floated down the hallway. With a quick glance at Ribyyn he crawled out into the open space. Darin's eyes adjusted to light much slower than Ribyyn's did. Perhaps if they hadn't the whole scene that followed could have been avoided.

As he sat on his knees, waiting for his eyes to stop burning when he heard a Ribyyn's familiar shriek. Quickly, still blinded by the light, he reached out and grabbed her arm, slapping a hand over her mouth to muffle the rest of her scream. Finally, after what had seemed like hours to Darin, his eyes became accustomed to the searing light. It took all his mental vigor (A/N: What am I talking about?), as well as his humongous ego, to keep him from screaming the way Ribyyn had just done.

There in front of the two teens lay a scene of blood that, later on, they would have nightmares about. (A/N: This dear author might vomit...and that could be worse. But for all you sick people craving descriptions...you'll love this next part.) On a plain wooden chair lay Ribyyn's younger half-brother, a slit in his throat and blood on his shirt. Under the table were the other two boys, arms or legs missing. Looking around and surveying the mess, Darin realized that the arms had merely been cut off and thrown across the room. Ribyyn's step-mother and father lay in a bloody pile in one corner of the room and there, in the middle of the floor, was Kalvin a bloody, disastrous mess.

Ribyyn wailed when she saw her beloved older brother. She made to run towards him but Darin grabbed her arm and shoved her back in the hole. He raced in behind her and managed to shut the wall after him before the marauders came rushing into the room, summoned by Ribyyn's scream.

"There's someone in here!" one of them cried out in Scanran.

"Search the room," ordered another. And then they began knocking over chairs and throwing the bodies into a pile.

"Ribyyn," Darin whispered in her ear, as she choked back sobs and tears. "Ribyyn, is there another way out? You have to get us out of here." He felt her take his hand and then she stood up and pulled him down the passageway. He was surprised by her sense of direction; it was pitch black in between the thick stone walls. The air was stale, having never been ventilated since the castle was built, but she somehow managed to breathe in enough oxygen to run through the corridor.

She came to the end abruptly and shoved open another section of wall. They were in her father's study now. She slipped out and Darin followed, rubbing his eyes. Tiptoeing over to her father's desk she opened a drawer and grabbed a small purse. She then opened up a large wooden box and pulled out what was left of her mother's jewels. Many had been given to the Lady Sienna when her father remarried, but some he had kept, like the wedding ring. There was also a necklace; a silver heart inlayed with tiny diamonds. She grabbed both of these, slipping the ring onto the necklace chain. Then opening another drawer she grabbed a stack of papers.

Darin watched the young girl sift through the papers, surprised to realize that she knew exactly what she was looking for. "What are you looking for?" he asked. She may have known, but he was certainly no mind reader.

"Birth papers," she said shortly. "And ownership rights. The ones to the fief."

"What are you going to do with those?"

"Take them with me."

"Where are we going?" Darin was shocked. He hadn't exactly had a plan, other than run like hell.

She stopped as she found the papers she was looking for. She reached under the desk and grabbed a bag. Carefully, so as not to rip them, she put the papers in it. Closing it up she shrugged it onto one shoulder and said, "Right now? We're going to the kitchen." She dove back into the passage and Darin quickly followed, sliding the wall closed behind him once again.

"Where are we going after the kitchen?" he asked quietly, aware that the enemy could be standing right outside the wall. "I assume we're leaving, but where are we going."

She paused at the end of another corridor, placing her hand on the wall. "I'm not entirely sure. South I guess. There isn't much up north but more mountains and raiders." She was quiet for a moment and then shook her head and pushed open the wall. Stepping into the kitchen she raced for the cabinets above the stove. Opening them up she pulled out food that would stay fresh for a week. Darin, following her lead, grabbed a bowl of fruit off of a table. He pulled out the apples, pears, and oranges, leaving the bananas which would turn brown. He grabbed a nearby flour sack, untied the top of it and dumped the flour out. Dumping the fruit into it he twisted the top of the sack and slung it over his shoulder.

Ribyyn had finished gathering her food, three loaves of bread and two skins filled with water. Seeing the bananas left in the bowl, she grabbed two of them, unpeeling one immediately and shoving it into her mouth. She put the other one in her bag. Then she grabbed three of the steak knives that had been laid out and were drying. Opening a drawer, she pulled out the sleeves that the knives were placed in when normally not in use. Then the knives went into the bag next to the banana and loaves of bread. Handing Darin one of the skins she slipped back into the corridor. Darin, like a shadow, followed her.

***

Fifteen minutes later the two teenagers finally crawled out of the dark passages. Sticking close to the walls of the castle they were hard to spot in the dusky light. Looking up Ribyyn noticed that it looked like rain. _Wonderful,_ she thought to herself. _Just lovely. We have to run away as fast as possible and the Gods feel it's time to let it pour. How typical_. Glancing over her shoulder she said, "Make a run for the stable. We'll grab a couple of horses before we go." Darin nodded and did as she asked. Gliding, almost invisibly, into the stable, Darin unlocked two stalls; the ones that held Kalvin's and Ribyyn's horses. Meanwhile, Ribyyn pulled saddles, blankets, and bridles down from their residing places. Then, together, the two of them readied the horses, secured the bags to them, and mounted up.

Darin heard movement outside before his companion did. "Someone's out there," he whispered to her. She stopped to listen, and then nodded when she realized he was right.

"On three, we make a run for it," she ordered. He nodded his assent and pulled himself down, close to the horses neck.

"One," he heard her whisper. Underneath he felt the horse quiver in anticipation.

"Two," his heart was in his throat. What if the marauders knew the two of them were in the stable? What if they were ready for them? He and Ribyyn were as good as dead.

"Three," she whispered and shot off like an arrow. Darin didn't have time to react as Kalvin's horse followed Ribyyn's without any order.

Together the two of them all but flew out of the stable. Thankfully, for the both of them, Darin had been wrong about the raiders knowing where they were. The thieves were too surprised to do more than jump away to avoid being trampled beneath the hooves of the galloping horses.

Ribyyn sighed with relief. With the marauders caught of guard, by the time they reacted and were able to run after them, she and Darin would be long gone. Even with the knowledge that she was safe, the knot in her stomach would not leave. She had freedom finally, she realized, but was the price of her family really worth all that? No, it wasn't, but unfortunately there was nothing she could do about it. She was safe and she had Darin for company. That was all that mattered.

**A/N:** Oh look! Ribyyn took charge! I suppose after the initial shock she's pretty cool. I mean, with four brother's she'd have to have SOME stomach for gore and such. Rather cheesy ending though. Hope you enjoyed it.

**Notes:**

_Temptress:_ Maxie is a wonderful nickname. (Had sudden case of bad thought. Whips out brain-cleaning floss and cleans brain - much better.) Anyway, in answer to your questions: Ribyyn is a wuss and it's logical author/creator talk. As for God coming down and telling me I'm a wuss...well I'd congratulate him on being so highly observant and then I'd scold him for screwing up royally at playing "master-of-the-universe." This is going where Myles Class said it would. Thanks for loving me!

_TheBlindAssassin_: How could you possibly say Ribyyn was a cool character? She was a wuss in the last chapter (see above comment to Temptress). Darin is mighty cool though. I have plans for these two. **::grins wickedly over steepled hands::**


	3. Dreams and Sweet Kisses

**A/N:** **_I HAVE NOT DROPPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!_**

This story has not been..."played with" (for lack of a better term) recently, due to a few factors...

A) No time.  
B) No inspiration.  
C) I just plain, didn't feel like updating.  
D) FINALS (are the Devil)

But now, it's updated. SMILE! REVIEW! GIVE ME FEEDBACK! JUST READ IT!

THANK YOU: Temptress/Bryt for your inspiring e-mails...and much badgering. (*Kiss Kiss* and Mushy-stuff....::giggle::) MUCH HUGS! :D

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

  
**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 3 - Dreams and Sweet Kisses_

"Darin. I can't take it anymore," Ribyyn whined, shaking her wrist, which was stiff from currying her horse. "If it doesn't stop raining, I will go insane." Darin merely rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his horse. The two teenagers had been hiding in an old, abandoned barn for the better part of a week due to the spring storms. The place stunk of rotting hay, and the draft was absolutely horrid. But at least inside they were dry. Outside it rained sheets of bitter-cold water, and both knew that a few hours out there would probably kill them.

Ribyyn sighed loudly again and Darin groaned. "Rib, if you do not stop I will gag you. All you've done since we've left is _whine_!" She looked down at her feet, her face flushed pink. She turned her attention back to the horse. All was silent except for the falling pitter of rain.

The moments crept by slowly, so slowly in fact that Darin found the silence maddening. Finally fed up he threw the brush into a corner and walked over to where Ribyyn was laying in the hay. Her eyes were closed, her chest rising up and down slowly and steadily. Darin realized she was asleep. He lay down next to her, slowly and carefully so as not to wake her. After only a moment's time, he, too, was asleep.

~*~

_Ribyyn was walking through the hallways of her home, Fief Hadic. The sun shone brightly into the foyer from the beautiful stained glass windows that her grandmother had had made for the castle. She stopped and stared at the intricate designs, and realized that they were different from the way she remembered them. On one window was a scene of two young children running through a hallway. As she studied it more closely she saw that one of the children was her, the other her older brother. They ran through the halls, laughing and smiling. Behind them ran their nursemaid, Ellie. Ellie had left years ago, when Ribyyn and Kalvin's father had remarried. The scene was a happy one though. She saw Kalvin speeding through the halls ahead of her, but waiting for her at every corner. And she saw Ellie who was, although she was incredibly fast, unable to catch up with the two of them. She knew that Ellie was not really trying._

_Looking away from that window, she turned to the other one. It was a scene of a forest. That was how it was supposed to look. But wait, there was something different about this one. There were people in this scene. A girl and two horses. And on the ground was a boy. And he was bleeding. She watched as the boy began to fade, and then suddenly he was gone. And the girl cried._

_"Ribyyn!" came the voice of boy, almost a man. She turned and saw her older brother, and was overjoyed at the sight of him._

_"Oh, Kalvin!" she cried happily, "I thought you were-" she paused. "Asleep."_

_"No you didn't," the boy told her knowingly. "You were going to say another word. What was it?" He advanced towards her, in his shy steps._

_"No," she shook her head and smiled. "I really did think you were asleep."_

_"No. You were going to say dead. You thought I was dead." He kept advancing, and she took a step back. "Tell me the truth Ribyyn. You thought I was dead didn't you?" She took another step back, and shook her head furiously. "You're lying Ribyyn. You did."_

_"No. I didn't." she thought quickly trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. But why was Kalvin acting like this? "It was a dream. I'd had a dream that you were. But it was only a dream!"_

_"But it's not a dream Ribyyn." He advanced towards her again and she backed up further, until she came in contact with the wall. "It's not a dream. I am dead." His face was suddenly covered in blood. It came from his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his ears. It came from everywhere and ran down his neck, trickling onto his shirt, down his arms and legs, onto the floor, and flowed towards her. She began to scream._

_"Kalvin! Stop it! Stop it, Kalvin! You're scaring me! STOP!" And with that final scream of "STOP" the blood came in contact with her boots. Kalvin advanced further and grabbed her shoulders. He screamed her name over and over again, the blood still pouring everywhere. It ran up her boots and legs. It soaked her dress and ran up her arms to her face. She could feel it crawling up her neck, stinging and prickling. She screamed, and then..._

~*~

She woke up. Darin was shaking her shoulders. "Ribyyn, wake up! You're having a nightmare." She sat up quickly and wrapped her arms around Darin's neck.

"Darin. It was horrible," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I was home in the foyer, and Kalvin came. But he was different. He was changed. He started to yell at me, and then he started to bleed and the blood just kept coming towards me and it wouldn't stop! Darin, it was awful!" Unsure of what to do, Darin just held her, and slowly her tears began to fade away.

"You okay now?"

She nodded. "Darin, I'm scared," she confessed to him. "What if the marauders follow us. What do we do then?"

He put a finger up to her lips to quiet her. "They aren't following us Rib. They'd have caught us already if they were." She opened her mouth to object again. "Ribyyn. Trust me."

"Can't you let me be pessimistic? Just for a little bit?" She gave him a crooked smile and cocked her head to the side, making her look more like a ten year old than ever. Darin couldn't help but grin when he saw all the straw that was stuck in her messy braids. He reached over to pull the straw out, but she ducked out of the way.

"C'mon Rib. You've hay all over you. You're a mess."

"Well you aren't any better Mr. I'm-so-clean. In fact you stink. You need a bath!" She stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. She reminded him so much of his mother that he let out a bark of laughter. "Stop laughing at me!" she snapped at him. "I'm serious. You reek!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her down back into the hay. "Well you're no rose either!" he said to her with a smirk. "We're living with horses Ribyyn, what do you expect?"

"But isn't that what the hay is here for? To drown the stench. Like cat litter?"

Darin rolled his eyes. "What do you wanna do, scrub yourself with the hay?"

She grabbed a fistful of the prickly yellow straw in her hands and grinned at him. "No," she said, "I wanna do this!" And with that she shoved it in his face.

"Ow! Hey that scratches!"

"Oh! Poor baby."

"I am not a baby! And you're going to pay for that!" He grabbed his own fistful of hay and threw it at her. She giggled and threw some back at him. And with that, the fight commenced. At first it seemed that Darin was going to win outright; he was larger and heavier, and he'd won in their fights before, with the help of Ribyyn's older brother. But Ribyyn soon found his weakness. Darin was ticklish.

He wasn't ticklish everywhere. Only his sides and the bottoms of his feet. The thing was, while he gripped his sides and tried to protect himself there, his feet were vulnerable, and vice versa. Quickly, Ribyyn pulled ahead in the tussle, and soon she had him on the ground, gasping and red from lack of breath.

"Do you surrender?" Her head came into view right above his. He gasped and lay there, catching his breath. "Well?"

"Never." And with that he jumped her. Having three brothers helped though, and she leapt out of the way, so that Darin dove headfirst into the hay instead. She giggled hysterically and dove back onto him, tickling his sides and feet once again. He writhed and clutched his sides, but to no avail.

"Surrender!" she laughed merrily as she drew her fingers softly along his bare feet.

"Alright! Alright!" he cried out. "You win!" She released his foot and he flopped back onto the hay pile. She sighed and lay on her back next to him, her head by his. "That was cruel. Who taught you how to torture people?" he asked, still slightly breathless.

"I have an older brother your age remember? He always taught me to use your enemy's weakness to it's full extent."

Propping himself up on his elbows so he was looking down on her he said, "But Rib, I'm not your enemy."

"I dunno, sometimes I wonder if you aren't just out to make my life a living-"

She was cut off suddenly when his lips met hers. Shocked, she just lay there in the hay, unmoving. What was she supposed to do? Kiss back? Was she _already_ kissing back without knowing it? Where was she supposed to put her hands? And what was this going to do to the rest of the trip? In fact, what was going to happen when this little _episode_ was over?

He broke the kiss and looked at her. "Ribyyn," he began but stopped.

She sat up. "Darin. What was that?"

"I wish I knew."

"What?"

"I said, I wish-"

"I heard what you said," she interrupted. "What did you _mean_?"

"Mean by what?"

She gave him a solemn look, and he knew she wasn't speaking about his comment. "I don't know. I suppose," he paused to think. "I suppose, I've wanted to do that for a while?"

She stared at him. It took a person a lot of guts to say something like that, especially when the person you were saying it to was only thirteen, nearly three years younger than you, and your late best friend's younger sister. A lot of guts, and very little brains. "You can't be serious."

He heaved a great sigh and looked away from her. "I can't be, but I am. And I suppose I never said anything before because your brother would have laughed at me."

She blinked. "You're bloody right he would have. _I_ would have!"

"But you aren't laughing now."

"Your right. I'm not."

He looked back at her. "And that means what to me?"

"Well, it could mean one of two things. Either I'm not completely _repulsed_ by the idea," Darin winced as she spoke and Ribyyn smiled slightly, "or, I've a fever and I'm not thinking properly. Or perhaps it could be both."

"So which one is it?"

Her smile changed to a fox-like grin. "You figure it out."

~*~

**_2 days later:_**

"I love the sunshine," Ribyyn commented as they trotted down the Great Road South. "Especially after all the rain we've had. It's beautiful."

"Ribyyn. You're being weird again." Darin was still slightly on edge. He wasn't quite sure what he'd been thinking, but he was pretty sure now that he was absolutely insane. _I'm in love with my dead best friend's younger sister. I have totally flipped._

"Darin!" Ribyyn snapped. He blinked and turned his head towards her. "Didn't you hear a word I said?"

"Uhm, was this about the sunshine again?"

"No. Not really, but now that you bring it up," she began and he moaned. She glared at him. "That was uncalled for. What I was going to say was that we should stop soon. The sun's going down, and if we want to find food for dinner tonight than we need to go hunting. I'm out of scraps."

Her companion nodded in agreement and stood up in the stirrups for a better look. "There's a clearing at the bottom of the hill. We'll stop there. Do you wanna go hunt or should I?"

"I'll go. My shot's better than yours and I don't feel like starving tonight." She grinned at him and he childishly stuck his tongue out at her.

"At least I can make a fire," he said and she giggled. "What is so funny?"

She giggled again. "You sound like Nolan!" Her giggles slowed at the thought of her younger half-brother. She shook her head and was quiet for the remainder of the ride. Silently the two dismounted and set up camp. Ribyyn watched while Darin struggled to make a fire, and finally sighed and retrieved her bow and arrows and went off to hunt.

~*~

Ribyyn trotted back, feeling better than she had earlier. She'd caught two large rabbits, so tonight they would eat like kings, or in her case a queen. _Well_, she thought, _perhaps not like royalty, but better than we have all week._ She heard her stomach rumble and increased her speed to a slow run. Ribyyn could see the small fire burning in the distance and shadows moving around it. Big shadows.

She slowed and as she came increasingly closer to the clearing she realized that the shadows did not belong to Darin or the horses. Bandits had come to the camp.

(**A/N:** I could leave it there to torture you! But I won't!)

She stopped as she came to the edge of the trees. She saw more horses tied up by hers and Darin's and she could smell the stew that the bandits had cooked. It reeked of onions making her eyes tear. Ribyyn glanced around in an attempt to find her travel companion but to no avail. Where was he?

Ribyyn glanced up and saw a low tree branch by her head (**A/N:** How convenient!). She quickly reached up and grabbed the branch. Pulling herself up the tree she searched below her for Darin. Once she judged herself to be at a safe enough distance from the bandits she stopped to rest. She still could not see Darin. Perhaps he had run away as soon as he heard them coming. But then again, why was all his stuff still here.

"The lad had a g'rl fer a c'mpanion," a bandit remarked from below. Ribyyn froze, thinking that their talk might tell her what had happened to her friend.

"Are ye suggestin' somthin'?" asked another.

"Nay, I'm j'st sayin'. Mayhap we should wait 'round a bit. Fer her te show up I mean." From up above Ribyyn gulped. She did not like the sound of this one bit.

"Ye sicko! She's nay more'n ten from the looks of things! Leave 'er be and let's get outta here," said a third bandit.

"What do we do with the lad?" asked the second.

The third bandit thought for a moment, "Throw 'im in the river."

The other two bandits grinned wolfishly as they picked up a limp body from the shadows. They tossed the body over the back of a horse. Then the three of them mounted up and road off.

From up above in the trees Ribyyn could do no more than watch. Darin was gone, and he'd be dead tomorrow when they reached the river. And she was only a thirteen year old girl alone in the world. What was she going to do now?

**A/N:** HA! I killed him! HAHAHA! But I did what was necessary. Life is full of sacrifices. Here's my take on this: If Darin got killed...Ribyyn became a determined (word that rhymes with "which"), henceforth losing all wussie characteristics and becoming a bad@$$ chica! (Henceforth becoming an Alanna clone, minus the red-hair/ purple-eye/ sleep-with-three-guys factor.) See! It all works out!

I was told I kill for odd reasons. In this case, I killed because I couldn't take the mush.

I have a question though...The Great Road South...what happens if you're heading North?


	4. A New Home

YAY FOR REVIEWS!!! :D ::sings:: I killed Darin! I killed Darin! Lalalala! And everyone HATES me for it! But that doesn't mean you stop reading! You know us authors...we LOVE plot twists ::winks at Temptress:: And who says that just because Darin is dead there won't be another love interest? ::lightbulb:: OOOH! NEW IDEA! Must consult e-mail buddy (you know who you are...)

Anyway...go read the new chapter (be happy it's up as soon as it is)

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

  
**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 4 - A New Home_

Raindrops dripped through the leaves and branches of the trees, occasionally hitting Ribyyn on the head. She didn't care; didn't even notice. She had only one thing on her mind. Revenge.

The idea had hit her after sitting on a tree branch for about an hour. Marauders had slaughtered her family. They had burned her home. They had killed her friends. And now, they took away the last person in the world that cared about her. This time, she was not going to let them get away with it.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and then shouldered her quiver and bow. It was going to be a long night.

~*~

Roank sat on a log staring into the fire. For the first time in his career as a thief he felt guilty. Slyde seemed to be taking the murder badly as well. Goethe was the one who didn't seem to have a problem with the killing; he'd done it before. Killed a boy that is. Slyde had killed only once; to avenge the death of his sister. Roank however had never killed. He found it wasteful.

Images flashed through his head. How the boy was squirming when they'd tossed him in the river. How they watched him get washed away in a strong current. How his gag had loosened and they'd heard him scream. He'd cried out, "Ribbon," and then was silent.

Slyde sat down next to him. "I know I've said this 'afore, but I gots a bad feelin' 'bout this whole thing."

Goethe snarled at him from behind. "I told'ja, ya worry too much." He snorted and sat down across from them. "Ain't nothin' a lil' g'rl can do to us. She's prob'ly too scared outta her wits to do anythin' 'bout it anyway."

"What d'ye think _ribbon_ means?" asked Slyde. Roank just shrugged. Goethe opened his mouth and Roank cringed, knowing what he was going to say, but the words never came out. When he looked back at the man there was an arrow in his throat and he was gasping for air.

"It means," came a quiet whisper from above, "that you should run while you still can." There was a rustle in the branches, and moments later a small girl with loose, fly-away braids dropped down to the ground. She took a step forward and raised her bow, aiming the arrow to Roank's face. "Oh well," she whispered darkly. "Too late."

Roank raised his hands, showing how they were empty. "Lass, ye wouldn't kill us without a fair fight would ye?"

"You killed my friend. Why should I spare your lives when you didn't spare his?"

"He," Slyde began, "he may not be dead. He was livin' when we threw him in the water."

"He was bound and gagged. And even if he weren't, he didn't know how to swim," she paused for a moment, "At least not very well. Speak fast, and your lives may be spared."

Slyde dropped to his knees. "Lass, ye already got the killer." He nodded his head towards Goethe. "Twas him that threw the lad in the river. I ain't never killed 'afore. I ain't never wanted to. I swear it from Mithros above to the Dark God below. Please, lass, please don't do it. Ye don't want to end up like him."

Roank watched as the girl lowered the bow. Her eyes flicked from Slyde to Roank, and then quick as lightening she raised her bow and loosed the arrow.

It hit a nearby tree and Roank could see that the entire arrow head was now embedded in the trunk. He took a deep breath and looked back at her. And then, without thinking, he he lowered himself to his knees next to his companion and bowed his head to her. He wasn't quite sure what made him do it, but he felt it was necessary. And then he spoke, "In return for the life that was taken from ye, and the lives that ye spared tonight, I devote mine to ye."

Slyde blinked and looked at his friend, then back at the young girl in front of him and said, "As do I."

~*~

Ribyyn could hardly believe her ears. Here were these two men that had assisted in killing her only friend, and they were promising to serve her for the rest of their lives. She took a deep breath as a dizzy spell swept over her. She shook her head to clear it, but that only made it worse. So she simply said, "I need to lie down." And with that she fainted.

~*~

Ribyyn awoke to the sound of a woodpecker and the smell of a fire. She tried to shift herself into a more comfortable position but found that her legs were stiff. She groaned softly and opened her eyes. Sunlight poured down on her, making her squint. Slowly she sat up, her body protesting.

"Well," said one of the men. "'Bout time ye woke. Hungry?"

She stared blankly at him trying to recall how she knew him. He was young, in his twenties, with floppy blonde hair, that would have been nearly white were it not so filthy. His skin was tanned and his face, especially his nose (which was neither too big, nor too small), was dotted with freckles. Gray-green eyes sat below thin brows.

"I'm sorry," she said groggily, "but I'm not sure-" She trailed off.

"Ah, I see th' problem," he said. Taking a tin cup out of a pack he scooped it into a bucket and handed it to her. When she hesitated to take it he said, "It's only water lass. From th' creek nearby."

She took it and sipped. "I still don't know your name."

He grinned, showing her a row of perfect white teeth. "I'd be Slyde. My friend Roank is out fishin' for our lunch ye see."

"Lunch?"

"Yes'm. Ye slept fer near three days child." He looked at her and saw realization cross her face. It hadn't occurred to him that she had forgotten that night so quickly. "Ye do remember what happened don't ye lass?"

"He killed my friend," she said, though more to herself than to him; as if she needed to convince herself what she did was alright.

At that moment another man entered. He had short cropped brown hair, a well tanned face that needed shaving, and dark eyes. He looked to be at least ten years older than Slyde, though it may have been his large nose that made him look that way. "Well, well, well. Sleeping Beauty awakes." He dropped four fish onto the ground. "Gut 'em Slyde." He turned back towards the young girl. "M' name's Roank," he told her and she nodded.

"Mine's Ribyyn."

"Ribbon?" Slyde said looking up at her from the fish.

"Yes. R-I-B-Y-Y-N." She hesitated and then added, "Ribyyn of Hadic."

"A noble lass?" Slyde asked, shock clearly written all over his face. Roank seemed to have trouble controlling his shock as well.

"Ex-noble lass," she told them.

"Did ye run away?" asked Roank. "Cause if ye did we'd best be careful where we go. If we're caught with ye-"

She shook her head. "Scanran raiders attacked us. My whole family's dead. I saw them." Her eyes glazed over and Slyde felt his heart sink. "They burned down the town as well. No doubt, there's nothing left. The whole place was aflame when we ran off."

"Lass," Slyde began, but Roank put a hand on his shoulder.

"Fish," the older man whispered to him before turning back to the girl. "So you've no place to go?"

"No place in mind. Darin," she paused, choking on her words. "Darin didn't even know where we were going. We were just running."

"Well then, as soon as we eat, we can pack up and go to where we were headed before ye dropped in."

"And where was that?" she asked as she crawled over towards the fire. She grabbed the fish pieces and tossed them into the pan.

"Just west of Corus," Roank said as he watched her cook the fish. "Ye up to it?"

She shrugged. "I've nowhere else to go."

"Good." commented Slyde. "But first," he took the pan from Ribyyn and pulled the fish out. "Lets eat!"

~*~

Ribyyn let out a big sigh. "Are we there yet?" _Cause my bum is SORE!_ she wanted to scream, but didn't. She didn't know her traveling companions that well. If it had been Darin...

She stopped that thought before it could go any further. Thinking about Darin only made her heart ache. It was so strange not seeing him everyday, and the thought of never seeing him again hurt more than the thought of never seeing Kalvin again. She didn't know that her older brother's friend had meant so much to her.

"No," Slyde said, in answer to her question. "Now stop asking. It'll be at least three more days."

"Three?" she said with a whine.

"Yes. Three," and he smiled at her. "Now stop whining."

"Mayhaps we should stop fer a break," suggested Roank. "A five minute stretch. What'cha think Slyde?" He looked over his shoulder to the younger man. Slyde nodded in assent and they pulled over to the side of the road, tethering their horses to a low branch on a tree.

Ribyyn excused herself and ran into the woods a bit. Meanwhile the two men spoke quietly to each other.

"Why'd ye tell her three days?" asked Roank. "Ye know very well we'll be there by sundown. At least if we keep th' pace."

"Why'd ye think? Te shut her up," Slyde told him.

Roank laughed heartily, "She'll never trust us at this rate."

"She will in time. Th' lass needs someone t' trust." Slyde became quiet after this comment and Roank saw his friend get a faraway look in his eyes. He'd seen it happen before to the young man. He was thinking about his sister.

"I s'pose ye'll tell me what happened t' her one o' these days?" Roank said quietly, cutting into Slyde's thought. Slyde shook his head, making his hair flop over his eyes. He gave the older man a small smile and said, "Yeah, one of these days."

It was about that time that Ribyyn returned. "I think I need to change."

"Change what lass?" asked Slyde.

She picked up the skirt of her dress daintily. "This," she said. The skirt was tattered at the bottom, full of mud and prickles. _Great,_ thought Slyde, _just our luck t' get stuck with a g'rl that doesn't like th' dirt._ "It's too hot," she told them.

Roank let out a laugh, having had the same thoughts as Slyde. "We'll make a short stop at th' next town and get ye a lighter one lass."

"Actually," she said, "I'd prefer breeches and a cotton shirt. If that's alright."

The two men blinked, dumbfounded. After a moment Slyde said, "Ye'r outta ye'r wits lass. But if that's what ye want."

"Really?" she sounded excited. "Oh yes! It would be wonderful!"

"Well," said Roank, "we don't have any yer size, but there's a town not far ahead. Lets go."

~*~

"My stepmother would have an apoplexy if she saw me now," Ribyyn said with a grin as she tied a new pack to the horse and then mounted up. "She was always trying to get me to wear new dresses. It was absolutely horrid! I'd much rather wear these. I used to steal my brother's clothes, but then he grew. And Sienna, my stepmother, took all of his old ones and threw them out. She didn't even save them for the young ones, which Kalvin said was stupid, cause they'd need them in a few years. But she knew if she kept them around, that I'd find them and ruin them."

"Did I know ye could talk this much?" asked Slyde from behind her.

"Of course not. You'd never devote your life to me if you did."

"She's prob'ly right 'bout that," added Roank.

Ribyyn only snorted. "Can we go now?"

The two bandits sighed an mounted up, trotting their horses behind her. "I can't believe I've let m'self get led 'round by a ten year old," commented Slyde.

"I'm thirteen, thank you very much."

"Ye don't say," said Slyde sarcastically. "Well that makes such a difference."

"Are we almost there?" she asked him suddenly.

"I thought I told ye..."

"It's just over this ridge lass," interrupted Roank.

"Really?" she sped up and stopped at the top of the hill. "Wow." The sight was amazing. The colors. The crowds. The architecture. She was stunned.

Roank and Slyde road up beside her. "Welcome to Pourt Caynn Ribyyn. Your new home."

(A/N: I was really unsure of where to stop this. So I stopped it there, and I have some of the next chapter written. Hope you enjoyed this.)

P.S. Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. Sorry about the whole Darin thing...but it was necessary for the plot movement. If you're unsure of where this story is going, go read chapter nine of Myles's Class. And don't forget to review.


	5. A Different Kind of Life

A/N: YAY FOR MYSTIKAT! Finally, an understanding person (Sorry Temptress...you don't count, you know where this story is going before the chapters are written) People, have a little faith in me would you? I wouldn't kill off a character for no reason. Darin's death = plot development. Now go read!

Note on Myles's Class for all those fans. School is out, and the pages have vacation. Therefore there is no class. :D I'm waiting until school starts to write more...since it never needs to be finished or anything. 

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

  
**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 5 - A Different Kind of Life_

_Ribyyn_, she asked herself, _how did you ever get involved with people such as these?_ She was currently watching Roank and Slyde get drunk. Or perhaps it only seemed that way, since she'd never actually seen them interact with anybody other than themselves. But they laughed more with the thieves, and they were less on edge. A wave of jealousy hit her. She used to be like that. She was like that a month ago. Sighing, she lay her head down on her arms and watched the two men, trying to ignore the thoughts running through her head.

Slyde sat down next to her. "Ye look lonely lass." He reached across the table and grabbed a pitcher, pouring the contents of it into a mug. "Drink up." She grimaced and he laughed. A full throaty laugh. It surprised her; she'd never heard it before. "Don't worry younglin'. It's only lemonade."

She took the mug from him and sipped at it. "Slyde!" a man from across the room called. "Move yer lazy arse an' come over here t' settle this bet!"

The young man looked down at his young companion. "Duty calls, lass. I'll be back." He gave her head an affectionate ruffle and left.

Ribyyn sighed again. _I've been here for all of six hours, and already I'm miserable._ A hand tapped her shoulder and she jumped a little bit. Behind her was a boy who looked to be a year older than her. "'Ullo!" he said cheerfully. "M' older brother seems t' 'ave taken a shine t' ya."

"Slyde's your brother?"

"Yep! Not much fer fam'ly resemblance, eh?" he smirked at her. The boy was right; he didn't resemble his older brother at all. His hair was dark and curly, and his eyes were a deep emerald. His skin was the complete opposite of Slyde's, and was, perhaps, as pale as her own. However, she realized that they had the same nose, and the same smirk, which she assumed meant they had the same set of perfect teeth. "M' name's 'Ayden."

"Ayden?" she asked, confused.

"Naw... 'AYden." This time he drew out the 'ay' sound. She gave him a perplexed look. "With an 'H'."

"Oh!" she said, "HAYden."

"Yeah, tha's what I said. 'Ayden."

"No you didn't. You said-" she stopped, realizing arguing would be useless, since he obviously didn't realize that his accent forced him to leave out his H's. (A/N: And for the ease of reading, I will type the H's, so you understand what he's saying.) "Never mind."

"What's yer name?"

"Ribyyn."

"Interestin'. I ain't never met no one named after a fabric 'afore. Flowers sure. M' own sister was named Daisy." He grinned at her, revealing that he did indeed have the same perfect teeth as his older brother.

"It's not spelled the same," she informed him. "You said 'was'. What happened to her?"

"She died. Dunno how. No one ever told me." He looked across the room toward his older brother. "Slyde knows. He won't tell me though. Won't tell anyone. Take it to his grave he will." Hayden shook his head. "So, what brings ye here Ribyyn? I noticed yer accent. Yer a noble fer sure. Ye run away or somethin'?"

"In a manner of speaking." She felt the wave of loneliness hit her again and tried to shake it off. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Well at least tell me where yer from."

"Hadic."

Recognition crossed his face for a moment and she realized that the fate of her home was now common knowledge.

"I see why ye don't wanna talk 'bout it."

"Hey now." Slyde came up from behind the two of them, interrupting their conversation. "Don't ye bug her too much Hayds. She's had a long day."

"Of getting saddle sores," she muttered. Hayden heard her comment and laughed aloud. There was a third similarity; his laugh was just as pleasant as Slyde's.

"Aw, he's a nasty riding companion, ain't he?" the young boy told her with a grin.

"Not nearly as nasty as Goethe," supplied Roank, who had rejoined his traveling companion.

"Speaking of Goethe," said Hayden, "where is th' nasty brute."

"Goethe had an unfortunate accident on our way here," Roank said authoritatively. "Suffice to say he'll no longer be joinin' us." The older man looked down at Ribyyn and winked. The young girl pressed her lips together.

"Good," said Hayden suddenly. "Never did like him." Ribyyn looked up at the boy, and suddenly understood why Roank had winked. Nobody had liked Goethe; she'd done everyone a favor in an odd way. "So, which one o' ya did th' deed?"

"Tha's our lil' secret, ain't it?" Slyde told his brother. The young girl yawned as Slyde looked down at her. "C'mon lass. We'll get ye a place t' sleep tonight."

~*~

Ribyyn awoke late which happened seldom. Sitting up she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and glanced around at her surroundings. By the time Slyde had returned with the news that he had found a room for her to spend the night in, she'd already fallen asleep at the table. She'd awoken only slightly when the young man had gently lifted her up to carry her out the door. She fell fully asleep before they finished the ride to wherever it was he was taking her.

The room was painted a bright, sun yellow. The bed she sat in was in a corner or the room. It was a large red oak four poster bed, with a bright, orange comforter and white sheets. A throw blanket lay on the end of it; pale yellow with pink hearts. The room was obviously made for a girl. At the foot of the bed was a trunk, also painted pale yellow. It was old and worn. On top of it was a pair of breeches and a cotton shirt, which Ribyyn suddenly realized was hers. Looking down she saw that she was dressed in a pale yellow shift.

_Hmm,_ the girl thought to herself, _I sense a running pattern._ Looking around the rest of her room she saw a red oak dresser on the opposite wall. The red oak theme was completed with a bookshelf, full of books. In another corner was a comfortable looking chair, which seemed to be a faded shade of red. A small purple pillow sat on it. There was an ottoman next to it, and a table beside it. On another wall was a window seat with a purple cushion. The drapes in the room were purple as well.

She felt her stomach grumble and decided she'd best get up and find where the kitchen was. She took one look at the breeches and shirt, laying messily on the trunk and decided against putting them on again. She got up to search through the dressers, thinking maybe she'd find something suitable for her to wear in them. The first drawer contained mainly skirts. The second was mostly shifts and stockings. A third drawer revealed shirts to go with the skirts from the first drawer. Sighing she opened the last drawer. This one contained cotton sundresses; lighter than what she had worn at home, but still dresses. She poked through them and picked out a purple one. Returning to the drawer that contained shifts and stockings, she picked some out for herself. Throwing them on herself she reached down next to the trunk and put on her boots. On the dresser lay a brush. Quickly she pulled out her braids, ran a brush through her hair, and plaited her hair once again. _Time to find the kitchen,_ she told herself.

Ribyyn walked down the stairs, which happened to be placed right in front of the door, and wound up in what looked to be a well used sitting room. It contained a small table, a large chair, and a comfy looking couch. There were two doors. One clearly led outside, while the other led to another room. Walking through the latter one she entered a room that smelled of fresh bread and cinnamon.

"Mornin' sleepy head," said a friendly female voice. Ribyyn looked over towards a fireplace and saw a tall, thin, woman with her graying brown hair wrapped up in a tight bun. She was wearing a simple house dress, the kind Ribyyn had seen Darin's mother wear hundreds of times. In fact, the kindly woman sort of reminded her of Darin's mother, except his mother was short and plump. "Hungry dear?"

"Yes," Ribyyn replied meekly. The woman motioned to a table with three chairs around it. Ribyyn took a seat and the woman set a plate of warm buttered bread down in front of her. Ribyyn inhaled the scent and picked up a piece of it. She was ready to take a bite when a bang came from behind her. Turning her head she saw Hayden standing in the doorway, looking cross.

"There you are!" he said to Ribyyn. He walked over to her and picked the slice of bread up out of her hands. "Thanks."

"Hey!" she cried. "That's mine!"

"M' mother made it," he told her matter-of-factly, and took a bite of it. "'Sides, ye got another piece."

"That's not the point." And she reached up to grab it out of his hands, but he jerked it up out of her range.

"Oh! Touchy 'n th' mornin', ain't we?" He grinned and dangled it above her head, pulling it out of her reach when she jumped up to get it back. Hayden seemed to find this funny and made a game out of it.

"Stop it!" she yelled at him. And then without thinking cried out, "Give it _back_ Kalvin!" And then she stopped.

"What did ye call me?" Ribyyn's only response was shocked silence. The air in the room felt thicker suddenly.

"I need to go lie down again." She took the other slice of bread off her plate and walked out the door, running smack into Slyde. She glanced at him for a second and then rushed up the stairs, slamming the door of the room behind her.

Slyde gave his younger brother an accusing look. "What'd ye do t' her?"

"He was only teasing the lass, Slyde." his mother told him. She picked up the dirtied plate and placed it in the sink to be washed later. "Ye used t' do it t' Daisy."

"That's different," he told her, still glaring at his brother, whose attention was fixed on the door. "I knew Daisy."

His mother turned around and gave him a look, placing her hands on her hips. "Slyder James Alexzander, I am surprised with you. It's no different from what you used to do to your sister. It's a natural thing for teenage boys to tease younger girls. You still do it!" Slyde looked down sheepishly. Hayden only looked away.

"Slyder James Alexzander?" came a quiet whisper from the doorway. The three of them turned around to see that Ribyyn had returned.

"Yes. That _is_ my name." He gave a sly grin. "Why, is somethin' wrong with it?"

"No." she shook her head, her dark braids swinging with the motion. "No worse than mine."

"Speakin' of which, my name's Glynice," said the boys' mother. "Welcome to Port Caynn, dearie. Here," she turned around and picked up another piece of bread, "have another slice."

~*~

Ribyyn waited silently in front of Klohe Cobeller's store. Inside Glynice bought four pairs of breeches and six shirts, as well as undergarments and new boots (Klohe's husband was one of the city's most famous shoemakers). Ribyyn watched the people on the street. She was quite positive that she'd never seen so many people at the same time. And all of them were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Everywhere around Ribyyn there was yelling, as people tried to sell their goods. Mothers wandered through the streets looking for the things they needed, all while keeping an eye on their children. Ribyyn was so mesmerized by the hustle and bustle of the city, that she hardly noticed when Glynice stepped out of Mistress Klohe's store.

"Here child," Glynice said after getting her attention. "Go find a stand and buy yourself something to eat. And then, take the rest and buy yourself some ribbons." The woman grinned as she handed the young girl a small pouch.

"Was that supposed to be some type of pun?" Ribyyn inquired innocently.

Glynice shot her a look that Ribyyn had seen her give to Hayden earlier that morning. "Don't be smart with me girl. Now go, and keep an eye to that purse! There's thieves about!" She grinned ironically at her young charge and then walked back into the store.

Ribyyn smiled to herself and turned around. She walked down the street, still in awe of everything around her. _First order of business_, she told herself, _ribbons_. As luck would have it there was a man across the street who was selling some in a small booth. She jogged over and began to sift through the bin, not really taking notice of which ones she pulled out. She quickly decided on six ribbons; two blue, two black, and two violet. She handed the man her money, thanked him, and returned to her walk down the busy city street.

She stopped at a pastry shop, buying a cinnamon twist for herself, though she knew that wasn't what Glynice had in mind of food. She stood outside the shop eating the twist and saw a stand across the street that was selling jewelry. She decided to walk over and look, though she knew she probably wouldn't buy anything.

The woman had many things; necklaces, bracelets, hair clips. One particular hair clip caught her eye. It was metal, with a copper sheen, and was inlaid with fake stones; colored glass most likely. Counting the money she had left, she realized that she'd have enough for it, with perhaps some left over. She quickly decided to buy it, and pulled out the proper amount of copper nobles. She turned around to give it to the woman when somebody behind her bumped her. The coppers went flying everywhere. She turned around to see who it was that bumped into her and came face to face with a boy that looked like her younger brother Nolan.

"Sorry miss," he said with a sly grin, his brown eyes dancing with mischief. He bent down to help her pick up the nobles that she had spilt, his dirty blonde hair flopping over into his angelic face. He handed her the money and she counted it quickly. Turning around, she paid the woman and then reached into her pocket to get the purse to put the change into, but it wasn't there.

She whirled around and saw the little boy running down the street at a fast pace. Swiftly she shoved the clip into her pocket, hiked up her skirts a bit and ran after him. She saw him turn down a side street and she followed him, always staying the same distance away from him. By now the boy knew that she was following him and he turned back onto another busy street in an attempt to lose her in the crowd. Ribyyn lost him for a minute, but the boy then made the mistake of turning down another side street and she saw him. She raced after him, thinking that she might catch him if she ran a bit faster. She stopped suddenly when she realized she had run into a dead end, and that the boy was gone.

_He must be hiding here somewhere, _she thought to herself. _I wasn't that far behind_. "Come out! I know you're here!" she called out to him. "You stole my purse and I want it back!"

She heard a snigger and the scuffling of feet behind her and turned around. The young boy stood there, along with four other boys who looked to be eighteen or so. "Ye want it back, do ye?" asked one of them. "Well come 'n get it." He dangled the purse in front of him.

"Toss it to me," she said warily.

"Ah lads, we've a smart one." The boy grinned.

"Look," she said firmly, "Just give it back and I won't tell anyone you took it from me."

"I dunno," said another one of the boys, "I've half a mind t' keep it. 'Sides, who'd listen to you?" The other boys sniggered.

"The authorities would," she told them stubbornly. "They'd have to. I'm a noble."

"A noble, eh? And I'm the King of Tortall," the first boy replied sarcastically. The other boys laughed outright at this.

"Yes. I'm Lady Ribyyn of Hadic and I demand that you give me back my purse!"

"Lady Ribyyn of Hadic's dead girl. Don't ye know anythin'? That whole fam'ly was slaughtered! Ye want yer purse? Come 'n get it." He offered it to her again.

Slowly Ribyyn stepped up to him to accept the purse. Just as she reached her hand out, the boy grabbed it and pulled her to him. She tried to scream, but he covered her mouth. "What do ye say we have a bit o' fun, boys?" Ribyyn's eyes widened with fear, and she met the eyes of the young boy that she had chased earlier.

"No. Dasher, let her go. She ain't done nothin' to ye."

"Oh," said Dasher mockingly. "Look boys, th' lad's got a soft spot for her." Ribyyn struggled against his grip. "Feisty lil' thing ain't ye?"

"Yes, she is. Now let her go." The voice came from behind the group, and was deep and threatening.

The boy, Dasher, loosened his hold on her just enough to turn around and see who the intruder was. "Ah. 'Lex. Long time no see." He paused and Ribyyn could feel his heart quicken. He was scared.

Dasher didn't let on that he was though. He grinned and said, "And th' lil' 'Lex too. How charming." Dasher turned her around so that she could see what was going on. "Friends o' yers lass?"

For some reason Ribyyn wasn't surprised when she saw Slyde and Hayden standing there. She smiled even though she knew they couldn't see it. Dasher felt the movement though. His hand slipped slightly, and with that sudden slip Ribyyn had a thought.

She opened her mouth up as wide as she could and bit down. Hard.

Dasher let out a strangled yell. "BITCH!" he cried, as he let her go and shoved her to the ground. Ribyyn was ready for the fall though. She put her hands out and slapped the ground, the way Kalvin had taught her. Quickly she rolled away from the boys, towards the Alexzander boys. Slyde reached down and pulled her up.

"C'mon lass," he said quickly, giving her a small push. "RUN!" Ribyyn didn't wait for her attackers to react, she shot off like a bullet towards the busy street, Hayden and Slyde close on her tail.

"Go right Rib!" cried Hayden. "Into th' Inn!" Ribyyn turned into the building that Hayden was yelling about, The Bard's Inn.

"Up the stairs!" Hayden directed her. She dashed around the tables, hearing yelps as she accidentally stepped on feet or shoved people out of the way. As soon as she reached the top of the steps Hayden ran past her, stopping abruptly at the door on the end of the hallway. He knocked a small tune on the door, and Ribyyn heard the lock open. The younger Alexzander opened the door just as his older brother came running up the stairs.

Slyde did all but fly down the hallway. Hayden pulled Ribyyn into the room swiftly and Slyde came in right after them, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him immediately.

The three of them stood in the room, catching their breath. Outside the room they could hear footsteps and doors opening and closing. Dasher and his boys were outside. Somebody tried to open their door and Ribyyn could feel herself tense up, but then somebody called out, "They're not here! Musta gone out a window!" And then the footsteps receded down the stairs.

"What were ye doin' with them?" Hayden asked her when it had been quiet for a few minutes. He gave her an accusing look.

"The little one stole the money your mother gave me. I was only trying to get it back," she said softly, looking down at her boots.

"Next time somebody does that, don't worry so much about it." Slyde said, cupping her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "Th' city's dangerous Ribyyn. It's very different from the mountains."

"I know," she sighed. Then she realized something. "I thought you two were a thieves. How come you aren't friendly with them?"

"Those boys ain't thieves," said Hayden angrily. "They're a gang. A bunch o' orphans that live to torture people. Mostly all they do is pick pockets. But on occasion they throw things at crowds and people get hurt. They ain't ever tried somthin' like this 'afore though."

"They're getting bolder is all." Slyde gave a small sigh. "C'mon kids. Let's go home."

~*~

Ribyyn was very careful from that day on. She kept an eye to her purse and other belongings when she was out alone, and tried to avoid that situation as much as possible. Slyde had asked her later that night where she had learned how to fall like she did and so she told him of her brother and the things he had taught her. The next day he, Hayden, and Roank had taken her out back and tried to teach her other maneuvers, so the next time she was caught in such a situation she'd be able to escape.

Slyde and Roank acted as older brothers to Ribyyn, and after a month she felt as if she'd known them her entire life. She often felt that Slyde had used her to replace his actual sister, but so long as he was happy she didn't care.

Her friendship with Hayden grew. He taught her how to punch people and pick pockets, as well as throw knives and use a dagger, despite his mother's protests. They enjoyed each others company, though they argued and bickered almost constantly. There was only one incident where they didn't speak for a day.

Ribyyn had been outside practicing her punches, while Hayden was watching. She'd been living in Port Caynn for nearly three months and, due to her lessons, her self defense had improved greatly. It was Hayden's idea.

"I think it's time ye fight with a real partner 'stead of a fake one," and with that little comment he stood up and took off his shirt. "C'mon. Have at me!"

"I'm not-" she began but he cut her off.

"Fine then. I'll start," and he took a swing at her. She immediately blocked it.

"Good!" he told her. "Now do it again!" Soon they were having a regular fist fight. Punch, block. Punch, block. The pace got faster and faster, until Ribyyn was no longer thinking about her response and actually was acting on instinct. Suddenly Hayden pulled a new move on her. When she went to kick him, he grabbed her ankle flipping her on her back. He landed on top of her.

"Hayden. Get off me."

He grinned at her and shook his head. "Well then, what do you want from me?" she asked him testily. He was heavy for someone of his size.

She was concentrating so much on how heavy he was that she hadn't even heard what he said. In fact, she'd stopped paying attention to him altogether, which she found out soon after was a bad idea. She didn't realize what was happening until she found his lips on hers. Ribyyn immediately pushed him off of her.

"What was that for?" she asked, shocked. He only grinned and began to laugh. Angered by his reaction she pulled her fist back and landed up punch on his jaw.

Hayden swore, and sat on the ground rubbing his jaw. "Well aren't you going to apologize?" she inquired him, contempt showing in her voice.

"Apologize? To you?" He looked up at her incredulously. "Why should I? Yer the one who punched me!"

"I wouldn't have punched you if you hadn't kissed me!"

"It's obviously no use tryin' t' make ye' see sense. I'm leaving!" And he did.

He came up to her room later that night and apologized. She suspected that Slyde or Roank had had a hand in the apology and making Hayden see sense, but she didn't feel like asking. Hayden seemed sincere and that was all that really mattered.

Slyde had been right on that day three months ago. Life in the city was very different from life in the mountains. But with a few good friends it wasn't so bad. Ribyyn felt that she had adjusted pretty well.

**Post A/N:** Well...that was my longest chapter yet. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review.


	6. The Art of Thieving

A/N: YAY FOR REVIEWS! I'm glad y'all enjoyed the last chapter. That last bit was fun to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll have a surprise for you in the next one...(Hint, hint ::nudge, nudge:: *wink* *wink* To Bryt: **HUSH!**)

You know what I just realized...I just realized that Temptress never reviewed my first story. I'm kinda hurt actually. ::sob::

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 6 - The Art of Thieving  
_

"First rule in th' art o' thievin'," Hayden told Ribyyn in a hushed whisper, "is don't get caught."

Ribyyn raised a brow. "Gee," she said sarcastically, "Thanks fer tellin' me that 'Ayden. I'd have never known otherwise."

"Rule number two is never mock yer teacher. Now hush and watch th' master at work!"

It wasn't Ribyyn's first time breaking into a house. She'd done it quite frequently over the past four years since she'd arrived at Port Caynn. This was, however, the first time she was breaking into a house without Slyde or Roank around. The two men had decided that it was time to send the "younglin's" on their own little mission. Ribyyn was not sure how good of an idea this was.

"Ye aren't the master. Yer brother is."

Hayden shot her a dirty look. "Do ye want yer 17th birthday present?"

"Yes. But I don't want it to be somethin' _you_ stole."

"Then hush!" He turned back to picking the window latch. There was a click and the window swung open silently. Hayden shook his head, a smirk on his face. "Stupid nobles. Oilin' the hinges." He pulled himself into the home and then reached behind him to help Ribyyn in.

The two snuck through the dark hallway. Ribyyn was thankful that there was nothing in the way for her to run into. She'd bruised her shins and knees far too many times by walking into chairs or protruding tables. Hayden took her hand and led her around a corner, into a room that was still dimly lit with candles.

"Kids forgot t' blow 'em out," he noted with a grin. He dropped her hand and walked over to a desk, pulling a box off of it. Lifting the lid he pulled out a necklace and a bracelet. He left the other objects. He then dug around in the other drawers, pulling out purses of money and other expensive things.

Meanwhile, Ribyyn looked at the books. She had found out, over the past few years, that people tended to keep their expensive jewelry in the library or the lord's study. In fact, she remembered from her own home that the things her father treasured were kept in his study, locked in the bottom drawer of his desk.

The thought of her family hurt. Even after four years she refused to speak of it. In fact, the Alexzander family, who had taken her in and all but gotten an official adoption, knew very little about what had happened to her. They knew her family was killed by Scanran raiders. They knew her mother had died in childbirth. And they knew she'd had an older brother, and three younger half-brothers. Anything beyond that was a mystery.

Ribyyn still had her birth papers and ownership rights to the fief; the ones she had taken from her father's desk drawer. She kept them locked in the trunk at the foot of her bed, wondering if she would ever use them. She also still had her mother's wedding ring which she wore around her neck on a chain with the silver heart her mother had owned. She had sold the remainder of her mothers jewels for her own spending money.

"Hey Rib!" Hayden called in a hushed voice. "Wake up! We gotta go!" She looked over her shoulder and her eye caught a book sitting on the shelf.

"Hang on a bit," she said quietly, walking over to the bookshelf.

She picked up the book and examined it. It was a plain, brown leather cover. The writing on the front, perhaps once written in a magnificent gold, was now faded. So faded, in fact, that it was hardly readable in the dimly lit room. Determined to find out the title Ribyyn ran her finger over the place where the letters should have been, trying to read the title as a blind man would have. However, it was hard to read the swirling script.

Hayden sighed, annoyed. Then suddenly, from out in the hallway he heard a feminine giggle. "Alden stop!" came a lady's laugh. The nobles were home. "Alden, the children are asleep. Stop it!" There were the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs and a couple thumps. "Alden!" cried the lady again. There was a man's laugh and then the sound of hushed giggles.

"Ribyyn!" Hayden hissed at her. "Rib, th' nobles 'r home. We gotta go!"

From down the hall a woman sighed. "Your daughter left the candles burning again. When will she learn? I swear, one of these days she's going to burn down the house!" Alden chuckled.

The footsteps came closer to the room and Hayden went into a sudden panic mode. "Quick Ribyyn, they're coming! Hide!" He grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her under the desk, but she just stood there, rooted to her spot. "Fine then!" he cried in an angry whisper. "Get caught! See if I care!" And with that he carelessly dove under the desk, bumping his head on the underside of it with a loud thump.

"What was that?" asked the lady from the hallway.

"Probably Jessalyn. She fell asleep in there the other day." The footsteps neared. Ribyyn dove for a nearby armchair. Softly slipping the book onto the floor she flipped open the cover, making it look as if it had fallen off her lap. She curled up on the overstuffed cushion and grabbed the blanket that lay on the back of the chair. Throwing it over herself, she made sure she covered her body and her hair, leaving her face in the open to make breathing easier. Turning so that her face was towards the back of the armchair she managed to hide it in the shadows.

"She fell asleep in the chair?" the lady was clearly shocked. "You didn't put her to bed?"

"She's 15. I would have thought she'd known to put _herself_ to bed." And with that the man and his lady entered the room. The lord sighed. "See. Sound asleep."

"Well then," the lady said in a huff. "Let's not wake her." She wrapped her arms around Alden's neck and proceeded to kiss him soundly on the lips. From his hiding spot Hayden grimaced.

"Go to my room. I'll be right in." The lady nodded and left. Alden went over to his desk and blew out the candles. Walking around the room he blew out the remaining candles until he came to the one that was right above the large armchair.

"Goodnight sweetheart," he said quietly in his deep, baritone voice. Leaning down he kissed her on the forehead. Then carefully, so as not to wake his sleeping child, he picked up the blanket and pulled it away from her face. When he saw the black-red locks, instead of the golden curls of his daughter he froze.

Ribyyn's eyes popped open and she stiffened visibly. Hayden felt his heart stop and he knew for a fact that he was no longer breathing. He watched the man closely, ready to jump at him if he meant to harm the young girl. Alden smirked and leaned over to whisper something in Ribyyn's ear.

"You are not my daughter," he said to her in a kindly voice. It was almost a question, but not quite. Ribyyn nodded her head stiffly. "Alright. Just checking." She turned over and stared into his dark friendly eyes, and then he smiled at her. "You may stay as long as you like, so long as you are gone before anybody else knows you are here." She blinked in amazement. This was completely unexpected. He tweaked her nose, gave her hair an affectionate ruffle, grinned at her, and then left the room.

Hayden finally crawled out from his hiding spot just as Ribyyn sat up. "Well," he said, amazement showing through his sarcastic tone. "That was th' strangest thing I've seen all day." He glanced back at his friend and partner. "I s'pose yer goin' t' tell me t' return the loot, eh?" She nodded, still in a state of shock.

Hayden sighed and walked back over to the desk, dropping the jewels and coins back into the box. Ribyyn bent down and picked up the book, finally able to read the title. _The Adventures of Sir Roland._ That was why it had looked so familiar; Kalvin had read it to her dozens of times. She stroked the cover affectionately and then placed it back in it's spot on the shelf.

As she wiped her hands off on her breeches she heard a shriek from behind her. "PAPA!" cried a girl. Ribyyn whirled around and met the eyes of Lord Alden's true daughter, 15 year old Jessalyn.

Hayden grabbed Ribyyn's hand and dashed out into the hallway, turning towards the window they had used to enter the house. Behind them they heard a door crash open. Hayden turned his head to see Alden standing in the doorway, his hair mussed and his breeches thrown on in a hurry. When he had finally taken in the whole scene he began to laugh.

"PAPA!" the girl screamed again. "Papa they're thieves!"

Hayden dropped Ribyyn's hand and ran full out for the window. He quickly shimmied down the side of the house. "Rib!" he called up. "Hurry! Before they get the guard!"

Ribyyn began to climb out the window, but perched herself on the edge to watch what was happening. "Papa, d'you think they stole anything? They were in the library and the boy was going through Mama's jewels. You don't think he took her jewels, do you?" As Ribyyn listened she recognized the tone of the girl's voice. The lady Alden had come home with was not her mother. Ribyyn could recall speaking that way with Kalvin about their mother when she was little. She sighed and bit her lip, relieved that they hadn't taken the jewels after all.

Alden entered the library for a moment. Ribyyn could only assume that he was going through his late wife's jewels. He came out with a slightly awed expression on his face. "No Jessa," he said quietly. "Nothing's missing."

Lord Alden turned towards the window and saw Ribyyn resting on the window ledge. "Thank you," he mouthed, and smiled at her. Then out loud he said, "Go to bed Jessa. I'll see you in the morning."

The girl walked down the hallway but her father still stood there. He turned back towards Ribyyn and held his hand out. In the moonlight she saw something shine. Reaching up she felt at her neck and realized that her necklace was missing. She turned back to look at the lord and saw that he was standing a mere three feet away from her. Her breath caught in her throat.

He held the necklace out to her. "I don't think you meant to give this to me."

She stepped back into the house and reached her hand out, accepting her mother's jewelry from him. "Thank you, my lord," she whispered and then curtsied. His eyes widened when he saw the accuracy of it, but he said nothing. Ribyyn turned around and climbed back out the window.

"Goodnight child," he said to her with a smile. He paused to think about something for only a second and then leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. His mustache tickled her and for a moment a pang of sadness wrenched at her heart.

"Goodnight sir," she replied. And with that she shimmied down the side of the house.

From his home, Lord Alden of Goldenlake watched the young girl and her friend climb over the fence and into the dark streets of Port Caynn. "Good luck," he whispered before turning back down the hallway and walking to his room.

~*~

The alleyways were dark as Ribyyn and Hayden made their way through them.

"That was th' strangest thing I've ever seen. I wonder what he'd have done t' ye if we had robbed him." Hayden was practically skipping with happiness. He'd been caught robbing a house, and been let off the hook. Sure he didn't have any gain from it, but he did have a great story to tell.

_He wouldn't have returned my necklace that's for sure_, Ribyyn thought. She was lagging behind him a bit, her mind still muddled from the encounter.

The two were so caught up in their thoughts that they didn't hear the footsteps behind them until it was too late. Somebody grabbed Ribyyn's arm and she was pulled against a large, warm, body. She began to struggle but stopped immediately when she felt the cool blade of a knife rest on her neck.

"Well, well, well," came a hiss. "Long time, no see."

Ribyyn gasped in annoyance. "Dasher."

Hayden sighed, "Leggo 'o her, man. There ain't any need t' do this."

"On th' contrary, I believe there is," the older boy told them in his cool, commanding voice. "Ye see 'Lex, yer older brother got m' friends arrested th' other night. Thanks t' him, m' friends owe a great sum 'o money, of which we don't have. I do believe it's fitting that ye contribute with what ye retrieved from that noble's home, don't ye?"

"We didn't get anythin' from there," Ribyyn told him quietly, trying to lean away from the knife. "We got caught."

"Sure. An' that's why there ain't any guards about."

"He didn't call th' guards. He let us go." Hayden was annoyed. He'd had yet to eat tonight, and it was late. To be blunt, he was snippy.

Dasher merely raised an eyebrow. "Let ye go, eh? Who d'ye think I am? I ain't gonna fall fer a trick like that."

"It's not a trick," Ribyyn snapped. She was sick of being pushed around by Dasher and his gang. No matter where she went, one of them was always nearby. In fact, they had attacked her twice before when she was alone. Now she tended to go out only if there were many people around or if she was with someone.

"Humph." Dasher whirled her around and shoved her into the wall so that she was facing him. "Ye'll give me what ye took, or ye'll suffer th' consequences."

Hayden lunged at the young man, intending to help his friend but the rest of the gang held him back. So Ribyyn spit in his face.

Dasher wiped the spit of and glared at her. Then, without a second thought, he plastered his lips to hers. Ribyyn tried to squirm away, but the wall prevented her from moving back and away, while his arms kept her pinned where she was.

"Bite 'im Ribyyn!" Hayden cried as he struggled to get to her. One of the boys pulled his hand back connecting it with Hayden's jaw.

Ribyyn bit down on Dasher's lower lip. He screamed but she didn't release him until she felt her teeth touch together. When he pulled away his face was a bloody mess. He stared at her in shock. Her own lips were no doubt covered in blood, she could almost taste it. He opened his mouth, with the intent to call her something obscene but Ribyyn cut him off by kneeing him in the groin.

He instantly doubled over in pain. His gang members were in such shock that they released Hayden immediately. Ribyyn jumped over the fallen Dasher, grabbed her companion by the arm and took off down the alleyway, not pausing to look back.

~*~

The two teenagers only slowed down when they neared The Bard. It was Slyde and Ronak's favorite inn, as the two of them had been close friends with the owner since they were young. They paused out back for breath.

"They've never tried that 'afore have they?" Hayden asked her, concerned.

Ribyyn shook her head. "No. Never." She grimaced and then swiped her hand across her mouth. Hayden watched as her skin slowly took on a green tint. Suddenly she dove for the bushes and began to throw up all that she'd had for dinner. Slowly, Hayden walked over to her and pulled her hair away from her face.

As soon as she was done she began to spit the taste out of her mouth. Hayden walked over to the door and took the pail of water over to her. She smiled grimly and stuck her hand in it, splashing water on her face, and then rinsing her mouth out.

"He's that vile eh?"

Her smile turned into a grin as she looked up at Hayden. "Yer still standing here. I'm amazed. Slyde woulda run out on me a while ago."

"Yeah, well," he searched for an appropriate answer, "Deep down Slyde's a real jerk. I'm sure of it."

"Is that an observation or d'you have proof t' back that up?"

"Well, he ain't standin' out here watchin' ye heave is he?" He smirked down at her and then knelt in front of her so that their faces were level.

She stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if there was a hidden meaning in his words. However, she was unable to find any in his eyes or face. She blinked, and then bit her lip, unsure of herself. Quickly she leaned over and gave Hayden a quick kiss on the lips.

He was taken aback. She hadn't shown any romantic interest in him at all. In fact, he had been her confident when she thought she was developing a crush on his older brother, which, of course, was just a crush. And he, in return, hadn't voiced any romantic feelings for her, at least not since that time she had punched him years ago. He realized now that he was completely unaware of where he stood with her. Were they friends and partners, or something more? He had always thought that if their relationship was anything more than friendship, it was the kind that siblings shared. Perhaps he was wrong.

Ribyyn, realizing that Hayden was merely staring at her, got up and began to walk to the door. When she reached it she looked back at her friend who was still staring blankly out into space. She couldn't help herself; she started to laugh.

Her laughter was what made him jump out of his stupor. He looked back at her and scowled. "I s'pose you enjoyed that," he said, getting up and walking towards her.

"Yes, actually. I surprisingly did."

"Well then, I s'pose ye'll enjoy this as well." And he walked right up to her, grabbed her chin, and placed his lips on hers. They stood like that for a moment and then he let go. "Happy Birthday Ribyyn," he told her and then turned around and walked inside, his hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.

Ribyyn blinked and then ran after her friend. "I hope that wasn't the only present you were goin' t' give me!" she called after him. He just began to whistle a tune.

~*~

Roank and Slyde sat at their usual table in the corner of their favorite inn. In front of them was a large pitcher of ale, and two half full tankards as well as two empty ones. In between the two was a piece of paper; a letter addressed to Roank. Over the past four years, Roank had moved up in the thieving world, he now was the head of the thieves in Port Caynn. Slyde was his second.

_R--_, the letter began.

_R--,_

_It has come to my attention that you've been having a bit of trouble in your area with a gang. The problem, though you've tried to handle it on your own, seems to have gotten a bit out of hand. I'm sending down a trusted "friend" of mine to help you out with the problem. He'll arrive in a few days._

_ --D.S. Rogue--_

Roank sighed. "Great," he said to Slyde, "Just what we need. Royalty."

Slyde smiled at his friend. "Don't get so upset Roank. Feed 'im a good glass o' wine and he'll be happy. He's the replacement remember. Only been Rogue for a few years. 'Bout time he sent someone down though. Wonder what he's been doin'."

"Reinforcing his rule in Corus," Roank said to him, picking up one of the half full tankards and downing the rest of it in one gulp. From across the room he spied Ribyyn and Hayden walking towards their table.

"Welcome back kids," Slyde said with a grin. "What have ye got fer us today?"

"Nothin'." Hayden said as he plopped down in his seat and reached for the pitcher. Slyde slapped his hand away.

"What d'ye mean 'nothin'?" asked Roank. "How could ye be out fer two hours an' get nothin'?"

"Simple," Ribyyn answered for him. "It took as a half hour to get there, ten minutes to break in, ten minutes to walk down the hall, five minutes to find what we wanted-"

"Five minutes of standing silent while the nobles walked down the hall, ten minutes of trickery and hiding while they were in the room," Hayden interrupted her. She glared at him and he grinned. "Twenty minutes to get out of the house all together because Ribyyn decided that the lord was actually quite handsome (Ribyyn snorted at this), and the rest of the time to get home."

"I'll assume that since ye were almost caught ye ran all th' way here," Slyde said. "What kept ye?"

"Well, we were almost caught, but he didn't call th' guard or anythin'," Ribyyn explained. "Lord Alden was actually quite nice."

"Ye tried t' rob Lord Alden? Lord Alden of Goldenlake?" Slyde stared at the young girl, amazed that she would be so bold as to try something like that.

"Hmm, thought th' name was familiar," she mused and then continued. "But anyway, on our way back we ran into Dasher."

"Which brings us back t' where we started," Roank groaned. Hayden and Ribyyn gave the men confused looks so Slyde handed the letter over to them.

"Well," Hayden noted, "It should make fer an interestin' week at least."

Ribyyn yawned and stretched. "Yep. I'm lookin' forward to it. But fer now, I'm goin' home and t' bed." She turned to Hayden. "Ye comin'?" He nodded and stood up. Together the two walked out the door and down the street towards the Alexzander household.

**A/N:** Wow. Another long chapter. ::pats herself on the back:: And written in two days. Some parts were written twice (Horrible computer! Crashing on me right when I go to save!) Go review! (And now I'm begging again.) I'm uploading, and then I'm going to bed!

**Moments Later**: ::SCREAM!:: I go to upload the chapter and they tell me I can't! AAAAAAH!!!!


	7. After Death

A/N: Well, it turns out some people really do like the Hayden/Ribyyn relationship thing going on. It appeals to me too, though I don't know why. Thanks for the reviews. Ya'll should enjoy this chapter.... ::grin:: I like Lord Alden too. If you have any ideas on how to work him into the story don't hesitate to tell me!

I'VE FIGURED OUT A WAY OUT OF THE HOLE I'VE DUG MYSELF INTO! In other words...I know what to write next for Myles's Class and get myself out of the spot I've put myself in with this story. YAY FOR ME!

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 7 - After Death  
_

The Rogue rode atop his midnight black horse, October. It had been six days since he'd sent his letter to the thieves of Port Caynn and he wondered if they thought he had changed his mind about sending help. He should have arrived in Port Caynn two days ago, but trouble had arisen in Corus and kept him there. People had begun to challenge his rule recently, though he'd only ruled for three years. Thankfully, he was able to keep them at bay.

The trouble in Port Caynn worried him though. He didn't like Port Caynn, and he'd tried to avoid it as much as possible. As he thought about what he would say to the man, _Roank,_ he reminded himself, he slowly realized why he'd been avoiding the city.

He'd thought at first that the name was familiar, but had shrugged it off. However, his second, who knew the thieves of Port Caynn quite well, said that Roank's second was named Slyde. The King of Thieves shuddered at the thought. It was all too weird. He'd built up a wall of protection around himself and his heart, and it was all about to be shattered.

He glanced up at the sun. Noon. He sighed to himself and dismounted, tethering October to a tree branch. Grabbing his pack off the horse, he stretched and then sat down to eat his lunch, all the while thinking, _Darin Smith, what have you gotten yourself into?_

***

**_Four years ago:_**

The first thought that ran through his clouded mind was that his toes were cold. As this knowledge began to settle in, the thought grew, as did the cold. His feet were cold. His legs were cold. His arms and fingers were cold. In fact, most of his body was cold.

He also realized that he was damp. Actually, damp was a bit of an understatement. He was soaked in water from head to toe. _Maybe that's why I'm so cold._

Something warm and wet was wiped across his face. He gave a moan, and he heard a small voice cry, "Mama! He's wakin' up!" Darin groaned as the voice echoed through his head.

"Hush child! Not so loud." The new voice was motherly and kind. A hand rested on his shoulder and shook him a bit, and then the unmistakable smell of wakeflower was placed under his nose. "I know you're awake lad. You can't fool a mother like me."

"I'm cold," he murmured inaudibly.

He must have spoken louder than he thought, because she seemed to have heard him just fine. "That'd be because you're wet."

_I knew it_, he cried triumphantly to himself. "Why'm I wet?"

"We found you in the river," said the small voice excitedly. "You were holdin' on t' a piece of driftwood and just floatin' down stream. M' brother fished you out."

Darin opened his eyes and shut them again immediately, as the light blinded him. He opened them again more slowly and began to blink. After a time his eyes adjusted and he could see his surroundings. He was in what looked like a park. There was a woman and a girl, and a bit further down he could see a boy and a man standing by a river.

The river. Everything suddenly hit him in a rush.

_"Toss him in Roank."_

_"Goethe-"_

_"DO IT!"_

_"He don't have to if he don't wanna."_

_"Shove it Slyde! Yer too soft hearted fer yer own good! Still attached t' that damned sister of yers."_

_"Goethe, I ain't gonna do it."_

_"Fine then, I will! The last thing we need on our hands is a lazy boy."_

_"Goethe, stop!"_

_Hands grabbed him while other hands refused to let go. There was a slight tug-of-war before the first pair of hands won. There were some more yells of Goethe, and then he was tossed into the freezing cold waters of the river. He went under for a moment before instinct kicked in and he began to kick himself towards the surface. Or at least what he thought was the surface. He felt the air hit his face. Spitting the wet gag out of his mouth he gasped for air. Bringing his hands up to his face he pulled the blindfold off._

_Now that he could see he could concentrate on trying to stay above the water. He wasn't the best swimmer in the world but he knew how to do it. Thankfully only his hands were tied together and not his feet. He could keep himself afloat that way, though it would be easier if he could just find something to hold onto._

_The Gods must have been listening to his thoughts because at that very moment a log drifted by. Quickly he grabbed for it. He gripped it with his fingers and then pulled his arms over it. There was a small stump on the other side and he placed his wrists around it._

_He knew he should have concentrated on getting to shore, but at the moment he was just too tired to. And the water was no longer running so fast. The slow rocking of the long drifted him off to sleep..._

Darin struggled to sit up, and the girl next to him rushed to help. He slowly became aware that his hands were still tied together. Bringing his wrists up to his teeth he began to rip and chew at the bindings. She took his hands away and helped.

"Thank you," he said quietly, and he reached up to rub his eyes and then his neck. He looked over at the girl and realized that she was older than Ribyyn was. _Or had been_, he thought sadly. He wondered if she had gotten away.

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. Her face was rather pretty. She had a small, pert nose, with a dusting of freckles on it. Her eyes were an amazing mix of blue and gray. Her hair was curly and golden and it hung down to the middle of her back.

"Lad, are you alright?" the woman asked and Darin looked away from the girl. Darin nodded slowly while his mind screamed, _No! You're not alright you FOOL!_ "What were you doing in the river?"

"I," he began, but then decided that he'd rather not tell these people about what had happened. He didn't even know who they were. "I'm not quite sure."

"You're lying," the woman said with a smile, "but since I don't know you, I'll let it slide."

_Slyde,_ Darin thought to himself, and he heard the man scream, "Goethe, stop!_"_

"What's your name?" the girl asked. "Mine's Rona. Well, actually, it's Roneika, but everyone calls me Rona."

_Rona. Like Roank.__ The one that didn't want to throw me in the river._

"My name's Darin."

"Nice to meet you Darin," she stuck out a hand, and Darin took it and brought her knuckles to his lips without a second thought. "Oh, so polite!" she laughed. "You've hung out with nobles haven't you?"

He smiled grimly and nodded. "Grew up with them. I was a servant in the castle. My father was the local blacksmith."

"My father owns Raven Armory."

"_The_ Raven Armory?" His eyes widened.

"You've heard of it?" she asked with a wry smile. He grinned back at her. "This is Lila," Rona told him, pointing to the woman. "She's a healer. Down there, those are my brothers. The littler one is Padrick, he's twelve, and the older one is Tashé, he's nineteen - almost twenty. I'm going to be sixteen in December. How old are you?"

"You never stop talking, do you girl?" Lila asked her. Rona shook her head with a grin on her face.

"I'm fifteen," he said. He heard his stomach grumble and he grimaced. Rona and Lila apparently heard it too.

Lila stood up and called to Padrick and Tashé. "Come on lad. We'll get some food in there," she said to him as Rona's brothers ran over to them.

***

Darin sat outside Raven Armory waiting for Tashé to come out. He'd been living with the family for nearly a month and he'd yet to figure out where he was going to go. They were good enough, yes, but they weren't his family, and he still wanted to find out if Ribyyn was alright.

"Ullo," said a feminine voice from in front of him. Darin looked up to see a girl of about thirteen standing in front of him. She was short for her age with her red-blonde hair hanging down past her waist. Her eyes were a dark and unnerving gray.

"Hi?" he asked, confused.

"Ye look lonely," she said to him.

"I'm not."

This made her laugh. "Of course ye are! Yer sittin' out her all by yerself!"

"I'm waiting for a friend," he answered, his voice monotonous.

It was at that moment that Tashé came out of his father's shop. He turned to Darin and looked down at him, a small smile on his face. "Father wants me to watch the shop for the rest of the afternoon." Tashé's voice had taken on a bored tone. "I suggest you go find Padrick and hang out with him. Or you could stay with your friend here," he looked at the girl and wrinkled his nose, "though I wouldn't recommend it." The girl glanced up at him and made a face. Tashé rolled his eyes and looked back at Darin. "Father says to be back by supper." And with that the older boy reentered the shop.

"He yer brother?"

"No."

"Cousin"

"No."

"Then why d'ya _listen_ to him?" the girl asked exasperated. She couldn't understand why someone would listen to a person that bossy unless they were family.

"Because I'm living with them."

"But you said.."

"Why are you here?" he interrupted her.

"What's your name?" she answered back.

Darin rolled his eyes. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to answer a question with a question?" He vaguely remembered Ribyyn saying that to him only a few months ago. It felt like forever.

_"The first rule of respecting a lady, is never answer her question with another. It's dreadfully rude." She forced her face into the scowl Lady Sienna wore when she was angry at her stepdaughter._

_Kalvin laughed. "The second rule," she crowed in imitation, "is never laugh at a lady. She will be insulted."_

_"But you're not a lady!" Darin said without thinking. Kalvin laughed harder._

_"You know, I'm unsure whom I should beat up first." She deepened the scowl and tapped her forefinger against her chin. Darin found that he could no longer keep his composure. He fell onto his back with great guffaws. Ribyyn grinned and pounced on her brother, tickling him until he could barely breath. Just when she was about to turn on Darin there was a cry from behind them._

_"LADY RIBYYN!" The boys stopped laughing abruptly and the young girl winced. They turned to see Lady Sienna standing there. "This is no way for you to act. You should be ashamed of yourself!" Suddenly Darin found it hard to keep a straight face. Ribyyn was quite good at imitating her stepmother._

_Sienna rounded on Kalvin. "And you! You should be inside catching up on your school work! The tutor tells me you are falling behind!" The two siblings slowly got up and began to walk towards the castle. Ribyyn gave him a small wave._

_"Boy!" the lady cried at him, and Darin jumped. This was unexpected. "Shouldn't you be filling your lungs with sulfur?" And with that she turned and followed the two children into the castle._

Darin shook his head when he realized the girl had spoken. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I said, my mum is dead."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Tha's alright," she said with a smile. "My da's long gone too. Left 'afore I was born."

Darin looked at her, confused. "So how do you live?"

"Ah, ye'd like t' see that, would ya?" She grinned and turned around. "Follow me, I'll show ya!"

***

The girl, she'd said her name was Copper, led him to a tavern. "Follow me," she said. She entered and immediately went to the back of the room, where a man was sitting at a round table. The girl sat down in front of him and began talking so fast that Darin's head spun.

While waiting there, Darin looked at his surroundings. The room smelled of beer and smoke, and the mixture was slightly dizzying. Most of the tables were empty but at one there were four men playing a game of dice. Darin had always wondered how that game was played, perhaps somebody could teach him. Glancing away from the game he saw two men and a woman at another table. They seemed to be counting coins.

"So, lad," the man at the table where Copper was sitting said. "Ye wanna be a thief do ya?"

"Thief? What?"

"Ah, ye didn'a tell 'im Copper?"

"Tell me what?"

"Well, he said he wanted t' know how I lived," the girl tried in vain to explain it to Darin.

"You could have just told me."

"Yeah, an' watched ye call the royal guard out on me too?"

"Copper, I'm tellin' ye," the man she'd been speaking to began. "Ye gotta stop makin' friends in high places. Sounds t' me that you got a right noble pal here."

"I ain't a noble," Darin said, offended that they thought he would betray them. "And even if I was I wouldn't go calling any guard on anybody. The nobles I know wouldn't do it either."

"Ye a servant boy?" the man asked him. He had dark green eyes and Darin couldn't look into them for long. They were unsettling. His face said that he was only nineteen, twenty at most, but there were gray streaks in his dark, curly hair.

"No. Used to be."

"Ye run away?"

"In a way, yes. Place was raided." Darin sat down heavily in a chair by the man.

"Yer from Hadic?" the man's eyes widened.

"You've heard of it?" Perhaps there was hope. Maybe Ribyyn had come to Corus and-

"Sure have. Most folk have. News came months ago." He studied the boy and then changed the subject. "Lookin' fer a new life?"

Darin sighed. "I guess so."

"I welcome ye in t' our ranks then. 'M name's James."

"He's the king of the thieves," Copper whispered in his ear. Darin's eyes widened. The most wanted man in Tortall was sitting right in front of him.

"I beg your pardon, sir, but what am I going to do as a thief?"

"What all th' other thieves do. I'll show ye the ropes. In fact, ye'll be my heir. Not that I plan on dyein' any time soon." James grinned, his eyes full of humor.

A thought suddenly struck Darin. "Would I be able to do a bit of traveling?"

"Sure. If it pleases ye."

"Then it's a deal." He offered his hand to James, who took it. "My name's Darin."

***

_**Present Day:**_

After that, Darin was caught up in a whirlwind. By the half year mark he was picking pockets and robbing houses by himself. James was pleased that he was a fast learner.

_James._ Darin thought to himself. He'd met an unfortunate end. He'd gotten caught by the royal guard and they'd killed him the next day. So Darin became the replacement after he'd only been with the thieves for a year. James's second, Ferris, became his, and the man helped him through the tough spots. It was now Darin's third year as king and it was his first time out of Corus since.

Copper was also still around. She'd developed something of a crush on Darin and tried to pursue him romantically. She was quite determined and Darin laughed about it when he was alone. She'd never been able to corner him long enough for anything to really develop, though Darin was sure that if they were ever alone in his room together something was bound to happen. That was why he always had Ferris with him when Copper was near.

October gave a horse-type snort and Darin was shaken out of his daydreams. "Alright, alright," he told the horse. He picked up the remainder of the food and put it back in the sack. Un-tethering the stallion, he mounted up. Together, the two companions made their way to Port Caynn.

**_A/N_**: I sincerely hoped you like this chapter. It wasn't that much fun to write really. It only got fun when Copper was about. I like Copper. She's a pain in the rump just like me. **Much thanks to Temptress**...there were more errors in this chapter than usual. It might be a bit before I get the next chapter up. There's nothing planned out really, and I have to finish all my summer homework. Plus my brother is back, and my friend visits me next week and then I'm away, so I'll have less time on the computer than I've had in the past 2 weeks. Oh well. If you love me you'll wait. Maybe by the time I next post I'll have 50 reviews. A girl can dream can't she?


	8. Familiar Faces and Foreign Kisses

A/N: WOOHOO! It turns out that someone is just as confused as I am! **To Larzdinn:** "I'm torn between Darin/Ribbyn and Hayden/Ribbyn now!" I laughed so hard when I read your review! I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! I'm the WRITER and I'm torn. Ribyyn will tell me in time I'm sure. Cause right now, she doesn't know Darin's alive...except she may at the end of this chapter...due to Temptress's help (Thank you muchly!).

To Loony - who thought chapter six was fantastic: IT SHOULD BE FANTASTIC! I wrote it enough times. ::laughs:: Stupid computer kept crashing on me. And by your request, an upcoming chapter (perhaps this one) will include a new description of Ribyyn, from Darin's point of view but a description nonetheless. And for extra fun - a description of DARIN from Ribyyn's pov.

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 8 - Familiar Faces and Foreign Kisses _(A/N: Wow...that sounds DIRTY! ::pauses:: Sorry, I needed to say that.)

When Ribyyn entered the tavern she saw Slyde and Roank sitting at their usual table in the back. Slyde was leaning back in his chair, tipping it back and leaning it against the wall so that it rested on two legs. His eyes were closed, and if Ribyyn hadn't known better, she'd have thought he was sleeping. Roank stared at his half filled mug. He'd been quiet and thoughtful ever since he'd received the letter from the Rogue. Ribyyn didn't quite understand why. The Rogue was just a man after all. A man with power, but a man nonetheless.

She weaved slowly through the tables and sat down in the chair across from Slyde. Roank didn't even blink. Slyde opened one eye and smirked at her. "Hey there, Dollface." He closed his eyes again.

Ribyyn smiled softly and reached for Roank's mug. The older man slapped her hand away. "Don't even think about it," he growled at her. He still hadn't blinked.

The young woman just stared at him. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"I'm waitin'," he replied, his voice lacking emotion.

"Wait no more," said a deep voice from behind him. Ribyyn looked up to see a tall man wearing a black cloak and hat. The hat was floppy and covered most of his face, though in the light of the tavern it would have been hard to see his face in the first place. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He placed it on the table. Roank stared at it for a moment and then picked it up, unfolded it, and read it quickly. He pocketed it and looked up at the man.

"Join me." Roank motioned to the empty chair as Slyde put his seat back down on all four legs. Together the two men turned and glared at Ribyyn.

"What?" she asked, confused as to why she was being singled out. Roank cleared his throat and rolled his eyes over towards the door that she had come in through only minutes before. She groaned, pushed her chair back, and stood up. "It's not fair. Why can't I just sit here and listen? I won't say a word. I promise!"

"Child, I've known ye fer four years. Ye always say ye'll shut yer yap, but ye never do."

"I'm not a child anymore! I'm seventeen!"

"Dollface," Slyde interrupted calmly. "Please, just go."

Ribyyn sighed and turned, stomping over to the door.

"Darlin' girl," Roank told the man in black. "A bit mulish sometimes though."

"Is it stubbornness?" Slyde asked of his partner. "I always thought she was a bit thick."

"I heard that!" she cried. And for effect, she slammed the door on her way out.

The man in black sighed, "Women."

~*~

Darin watched as the two thieves discussed something. Roank and Slyde were still recognizable. He couldn't recognize their faces, but their voices were familiar. He knew these were his almost murderers. _Except they didn't want to kill me._ He shook his head realizing that Slyde had spoken to him.

"Ye aren't just a messenger, are ye?" Slyde asked, glancing at the man warily. "Yer the Rogue himself, ain't ye?"

Darin nodded slowly. "Yer a smart man."

"I thank ye kindly. So yer here t' help us out with our gang problem?"

Darin sighed and looked thoughtful. He pulled at the brim of his hat and smirked. "Somethin' like that."

A barmaid came over and refilled Roank and Slyde's mugs. "Would ye like somethin', sir?" she asked the Rogue, leaning over, in an attempt to show Darin how chesty she was.

"No, thank you," he said politely. "I'm fine." He turned away from her and focused his attention on Roank. "So," he said to the older man, "Tell me exactly what yer problem is."

"Well, we've had this gang around fer quite awhile. Before though, they was just a nuisance, attackin' us at inopportune times an' all. Never going so far as t' hurt anybody an' all." Roank explained to him. "But now they've gotten more violent. Th' ringleader, Dasher, tried t' make a forceful move on th' lass that was just in here."

"She's smart though," Slyde added. "M' younger brother tells me she bit Dasher right through his lip! Bloody mess it was, and then she hurled for fifteen minutes straight. Though that last bit may be a tad exaggerated. Hayden's got a way of doin' that."

"How many in the gang?" Darin asked thoughtfully.

"He wanders 'round with 'bout twenty of 'em, but there's likely triple that number," answered Slyde

"This could take some time," he mused.

"But ye'll help?" Roank asked. He winced when he realized how desperate he sounded.

The Rogue reached up and removed his hat. He grinned at the two men, "Darin Smith at yer service."

***

The men stayed at the inn a while longer before deciding to retire for the night. Roank, who had permanent rooms on the top story of the inn, didn't have very far too go. However, it was decided that Darin would stay at the Alexzander's home, as Slyde's mother loved having visitors. It wasn't until they reached the house that they realized there was no room for the King of Thieves to sleep.

Slyde sighed heavily. "Ye can take my room. Th' kids 'r a bit overprotective of their rooms and m' mother wont' like it if I loan her's out. I'll sleep on th' floor of m' brother's room. Upstairs, first door on th' right."

Darin nodded his thanks and walked slowly up the stairs. He entered the room, closed the door, undressed himself, and fell into bed.

~*~

Ribyyn wandered the streets aimlessly. It was too early to go home, Hayden wouldn't be there. He'd gone out with some friends, and though she had begged to come along he'd insisted that she wouldn't enjoy herself where they were going. Which meant that they were either going to get completely smashed and he didn't want her to rat him out to his mother, or they were going to rob some noble household, and he didn't want to be caught twice in the same week. Either way, it left her alone and with too much free time.

So rather than go home and read a book, Ribyyn had decided to spend the night out and reacquaint herself with Port Caynn. Not to mention make a stop at the Goldenlake household. Though she hated to admit it, it had become an obsession. The family was so completely normal, despite Lord Alden's girlfriends. There was Jessalyn, who at least acted like a normal fifteen year old. Or the way Ribyyn thought a fifteen year old should act, since she wasn't quite sure how a normal fifteen year old girl should behave. After Jessalyn came Orlando, who was ten. He was the complete opposite of his sister, his dark hair contrasted entirely with his older sibling's blonde hair. Lastly, there was seven year old Karoline. She was nearly identical to her older sister.

Ribyyn had been watching the family ever since she had been nearly caught that day last week. She wasn't quite sure what compelled her to keep coming back, but it was an obsession that she couldn't cure. All her free time was spent wandering around that street and hiding from the guards that were constantly on watch. However it was dark now, so that would make it easier to spy without anyone seeing.

It was a beautiful night, so she took her time. There was a full moon, and very few clouds in the sky. Typically, one was presently covering the moon. Taking a shortcut down an alley, she paused when she heard scuffling and muffled screams. It came from the alley that was branched off from the one she was currently in. Quietly, she turned towards the noise. There she saw Dasher's familiar outline. He was with someone, attacking her probably. Just then the cloud moved out of the way and Ribyyn saw the recognizable gleam of Jessalyn's hair.

She gasped a bit too loudly, and Dasher whirled around to see her. "Oh, how lovely of ye t' join me, _Dollface_," he sneered, using Slyde's pet name for her.

"Let her go. She's a noble. Ye'll get in trouble."

"Oh?" he sighed mockingly. "Concerned fer my safety? I'm touched, _Dollface_."

"Stop calling me that," she growled. "Now let her go, else I'll call the guard."

"And get yerself caught as well?" he scoffed. "I doubt that. Now run along and mind yer own business _Dollface._" He turned his attention back to Jessa. The young girl squealed in fright and tried to break away, but Dasher was stronger.

Ribyyn heard the distinct sound of ripping cloth and Jessa cried out in fright. Suddenly Ribyyn rushed at Dasher, shoving him away from the girl with her shoulder. The impact was unexpected and he fell to the ground, hitting his head and making him see stars. He recovered quickly however and jumped up, grabbing Ribyyn by the arm. He tried to pull her towards him but Ribyyn grabbed him by his ear and pulled with all her might. He yelped, grabbed his knife and made to slice at her wrist but missed. He screamed.

Ribyyn stood there frozen for a moment. In her hand was Dasher's left ear. He'd cut it off. She looked up at him and saw that his face was getting more and more red with his rising anger.

Whirling around Ribyyn grabbed the fifteen year old and pulled her down the alley. At first Jessa resisted, but Ribyyn ignored her and continued to drag the girl. Coming out of the alley, the thief made a bee-line for the noble girl's home.

When they reached the home, Ribyyn paused at the gate for breath. Jessa just stared at her. "How do you know where I live?" she asked.

Ribyyn looked at the girl and shook her hair out of her face. "That's not important. What are ye doin' out this late? I'll bet yer father's worried."

"I was running away."

"Running away?" Ribyyn was shocked. Was this girl completely _mad_? Why would anybody want to run away from that life? Ribyyn would give anything to have it back. "Why would you do that?"

"Because my father..."

"Your father loves you."

"He doesn't act like it. Besides, how do you know? You don't understand what it's like!" Jessalyn was practically yelling now.

Ribyyn looked at her feet. "I understand more than you know," she said quietly. "Jessa, please. Go home."

The teenager sighed and slid the gate open. She closed it behind her and began to walk towards the house, but stopped to turn around. "Wait. How do you know my name? Who are-" She stopped, realizing she was asking questions to the empty street. Sighing, she turned back towards her home.

~*~

It was well past midnight by the time Ribyyn finally got home. Knowing that Mrs. Alexzander disliked having people come home so late she decided to play it safe and climb in through her window. Sneaking around the house she climbed up the drainpipe and grabbed hold of her windowsill and tried to open the window. It was locked.

Cursing under her breath she stood there a moment, clinging to the house, trying to think of a new entrance. Glancing to her left she saw that Slyde's window was open.

"Thank Mithros," she whispered to herself. Climbing carefully over to the window she slid it open more. It was a good thing that Slyde had the habit of oiling the hinges of his windows, otherwise the man would wake up for sure.

She climbed into the room, and silently closed the window. Turning around to walk towards the door she ran smack into Slyde's broad chest. Except it wasn't Slyde.

Ribyyn made a dash for the door but the man grabbed her and pulled her to him. "Who are ye and what are ye doing here?" he hissed in her ear.

"I should ask you the same thing," she hissed back, struggling against his grip.

"Stop squirming an' ye won't get hurt."

Ribyyn's temper flared. "Why are you threatening me? At least I live here!"

"Live here?" the man asked and let her go. He turned her around, though it was still too dark in the room to see anything. "Yer Slyde's sister?"

"Unofficially, yes."

The young woman moved over towards the nightstand where she could see a candle in the faint moonlight that shown through the window. "What's your name?" the man asked as he watched her. Grabbing the matches beside it she lit it and a dim light filled the room.

"Ribyyn Hadic," she answered.

She turned around and saw the man's face go completely white. And not just his face. His neck. His shoulders. Everything down to his toes. He was completely naked. "Ribyyn?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

The man blinked and looked down. Suddenly he dove for his breeches and pulled them on quickly. He turned back towards her and kneeled down in front of her, pulling her down to a sitting position with him. "Ribyyn," he whispered. "It's me. It's Darin."

"Darin?" she asked in disbelief. "But, your dead. Goethe threw you in the river. I heard him say it. Roank and Slyde saw it!"

"So? What does that have to do with anything? I can swim you know." Darin could feel his heart beating in his chest. It was ready to burst. He wanted to cry out in joy. After years of not knowing what had happened, here she was, in front of him, sneaking into his room.

"But," she looked confused. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I," he smiled mischievously. "But why does it matter?" He placed his hand on the back of her head, leaned forward and kissed her lips gently.

At first Ribyyn was dazed, but by the time the shock wore off she was enjoying herself too much to stop him. The kiss deepened and she was almost positive that their actions would move further, but just as she had decided that Darin pulled away.

"You have to tell me everything," he said to her quietly.

She smiled and shook her head. "You tell first."

He grinned and nodded. Silently, Ribyyn snuggled up next to him. Darin had barely begun his story when he realized that his friend had fallen asleep. Chuckling to himself, he lay down next to her on the floor and fell asleep almost instantly.

**A/N: **YAY! Chapter's done. How sweet. I like my ending. It gives something to begin my next chapter with. I think this is a pretty complete chapter. Talking, Kissing, Adventure. It's great. And she gets someone's ear cut off! Don't forget to review!


	9. Fight, Kiss, Slap, Lecture and I'm runni...

A/N: ARGH! STUPID ELECTRICITY! My house is falling apart. My modem is not working! I'm going through IDT (Internet Deprivation Trauma). For the 10 minutes my modem did work I found out that FF.N does not. Work that is. ::shrieks in joy:: THE MODEM WORKS AGAIN! But I can't write reviews for stories or anything. Oh well. School is back in session...YAY SENIOR YEAR!

I was not unhappy to delete that last author's note - it was in desperate need of editing.

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 9 - Fight, Kiss, Slap, Lecture_

Hayden entered the kitchen to find his mother and older brother already awake. Glynice was cooking French toast and Slyde sat at the breakfast table looking worried.

"Ullo," Hayden said cheerfully, trotting into the room. Slyde merely glared at him. Hayden glanced at his older brother as he sat down. "What's wrong with you?"

"When was the last time you saw her?" Slyde grumbled.

"Saw who?"

"Ribyyn," his mother answered. "Your brother thinks she's been kidnapped by that fool boy Dasher."

"She didn't come home?" Hayden queried.

"Would I be worried if she _did_, dolt?"

"I'm not a dolt. I'm only askin'. 'Sides, what makes you think she didn't come home?"

"Her door's open an' her bed's not slept in. Th' candle I left burnin' fer her is burned all the way down."

"Oh."

There was a loud creak from behind the family and they turned to see a very dazed and distracted Ribyyn enter the room. She sat down next to Slyde with an audible _thump._ Blinking a few times, she reached out to grab the pitcher of orange juice, but Slyde grabbed her wrist first.

"Where in Mithros have ye been?" he snapped at her.

"Upstairs."

"Ye weren't upstairs when I checked last," his voice was no longer worried, but it held a note of anger.

"I've been upstairs all night," she insisted.

"All night?" Glynice asked innocently.

Ribyyn nodded emphatically. "Well, past midnight at least. The window to my room was locked, so I came in through Slyde's room." She paused, her face thoughtful and then her eyes glazed over with realization and she became extremely interested in the table top. When she continued, what she said came out softly, as if she didn't want them to hear. "I spent the night there."

It was quiet in the kitchen for what felt like hours to Ribyyn. The silence was broken when Hayden leapt out of his chair and cried out, "I'll _kill_ him!"

"Kill who?" asked an innocent voice from behind them. Darin stood at the doorway, with his usual cool confidence. Ribyyn studied him. He'd changed in the years they'd been apart. His voice was deeper than before and he'd grown a lot. In the past he'd only just topped her meager five feet, three inches. She was no longer so short, a wonderful two inches had been added to her height, but he was still at least five inches taller than her. His hair was blonder, if that was at all possible. The only thing that was the same was the lovely shade of green his eyes had when he found something funny. Apparently, Hayden's reaction was hysterical, because his eyes were filled with laughter. He caught Ribyyn staring at him and smiled at her. Walking further into the kitchen Darin ruffled her hair as he walked by. "Mornin', Love," he said as he sat down across from her at the table.

He picked up a slice of toast and was about to bite into it when Hayden snapped at him. "Who said you could eat _our_ food?"

Darin merely raised an eyebrow and gave the younger boy a confused look. "Your brother?" he said, though it was more of a suggestion than a statement.

"Well I retract the invitation!"

"Hayden!" his mother snapped at him. "That is no way to treat a guest."

"Even though he slept with Ribyyn?"

Ribyyn opened her mouth to protest but Darin beat her to it. "You act as if she's your fiancée, not your sister. And we didn't sleep together. She fell asleep on the floor while I was talking to her."

"Talking to her, or seducing her?"

Three voices screamed, "Hayden!" while one other calmly asked, "I beg your pardon?"

"Hayden, apologize immediately or leave this table!" Glynice scolded her son.

"Fine. I see that I am not contributing to this discussion-"

"What else is new?" Slyde asked, rolling his eyes as he received a glare from Hayden and a giggle from Ribyyn.

"So I will take my leave," Hayden finished. He grabbed the piece of toast that Darin held in his hand and stood up to leave the room. "Fine by me if you all want to eat breakfast with the rapist and his victim." And with that he strode out of the room. Moments later the slamming of the front door was heard.

"Rude little brat, isn't he?" Darin drawled as he took another piece of toast off the plate.

"He's not _usually_ like that," Ribyyn informed him, pouring herself another glass of orange juice.

"He's just not used t' competition is all," Darin said with a smile as he buttered the bread. "That's alright. He really ought not to be worried about anything."

"Why?" Ribyyn asked slyly, forgetting for the movement that Slyde and his mother were in the room as well. "Were you leading me on last night? Is there someone _else_?" Darin coughed and ignored the question. "Because if there is, I suppose I could find an immediate substitute. It wouldn't be all that hard." She caught the flicker of moment at his eyebrow though, to all appearances, Darin continued to ignore her. "And it wouldn't necessarily be Hayden, mind you. I know plenty others who would be quite willing."

Darin nearly choked on his toast at this. Ribyyn smiled cheerfully at him and resumed eating her breakfast. Darin only continued to stare at her. Suddenly he turned on Slyde. "What have ye done to her?"

"Eh?" Slyde said, his mouth full of scrambled eggs.

"She used t' be so innocent!" Darin explained.

"She still is," Slyde told him as he swallowed, and stood up to put his plate in the sink. "She's lyin' t' ye." He walked over to Ribyyn and bent down to whisper in her ear. "Ye know where I'll be if ye need me. I trust ye'll explain things then." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, rose and nodded to Darin, and left the room.

Glynice glanced at the King of Thieves and the seventeen year old. "This may be against my better judgment," she said, "but I'll leave you two alone." She followed her son out of the room.

"You were _lying_ to me?" Darin asked, his voice mock-hurt.

Ribyyn rolled her eyes and picked up her dish. She carried it over to the sink and proceeded to clean it, all the while ignoring Darin's piercing stare into her back.

"I can't believe you would _lie_ to me. What happened to the Ribyyn I knew?" He grinned at her, rose, and brought his dish over to the sink. He took the clean dish out of her hands and handed her his dirtied one.

"She grew up," Ribyyn said calmly as she cleaned the plate. There was silence as she handed it over to him and he dried it. When they were finished she placed them back in their proper places.

"Why?" asked Darin softly. He looked down on her. She no longer looked like the thirteen year old he knew. She was taller, and more feminine. At thirteen she had looked ten but at seventeen she looked mature. Her face had been round, her eyes large, and her hair plaited in two braids, like a proper young maiden's should be. Her face now had lost much of it's baby-fat. Her eyes were still round and blue, but they held more knowledge. Her deep red hair was longer than before, and was worn in one long braid which she twisted around her head as if it were a crown. However, she was still shorter than him.

"Everyone's got to grow up sometime, Darin," she spoke softly and tried to keep from looking at him.

"I know," he whispered. "But you seemed so set on staying a child forever." He paused and studied her. Ribyyn could feel his eyes on her, boring into the top of her head. She felt two cool fingers slide under her chin and force her face up. Her cerulean blue eyes met his spring-green ones, and he smiled. "I think I like you better this way though." He bent down and kissed her lips softly.

Ribyyn sighed and relaxed, leaning against him. Foolishly, she wished that this moment could last forever, but knew that she would die of suffocation if it did. At the moment though she didn't care, and just as she thought her lungs would burst, Darin broke the kiss. Ribyyn wondered how he was able to do that, break the kiss just as she was about to pass out. She'd have to ask him sometime.

"So," Darin said, his calm confidence unwavering. "D'you think ye could show me around this blasted city ye've been livin' in fer the past four years?"

~*~

"It's not fair!" cried Hayden. "She's mine!"

"She's not yers," Roank said with a roll of his eyes. "She's her own person, belongin' to nobody."

"I don't care!" the teenager yelled in anguish. "He has no right to come bargin' in and treatin' her as if she were no more than a common wench."

"I don't think that's exactly how he treated her," Slyde said, though he knew not why he was sticking up for the man. Ribyyn did seem to know him and trust him, but that was never enough to convince Slyde.

"It _is_ how he treated her!" Hayden insisted. "Couldn't ye tell? She breaks into his room an' he immediately tries to bed her!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say _immediately_," a voice behind Hayden drawled. "We did try to get reacquainted before falling asleep on the floor, but it had been a long day. So you must forgive me for falling asleep when he had barely begun telling me where he had been for the past four years." Ribyyn sat down next to her friend.

Hayden turned to her. "Why would ye _care_ where he's been?" he said with contempt. His next comment was mocking. "Unless of course ye _wanted_ to bed him. In which case I understand perfectly. Only th' purest for th' Lady Ribyyn. Any man she beds is not allowed to have had paid 'guests'."

Ribyyn faced him, her face an unreadable glare. "Take that back," she growled.

"I will not."

"_TAKE IT BACK!"_

Hayden only ignored her. Furious, Ribyyn drew her hand back and let it fly. It made a sickening _smack_ as it came into contact with Hayden's cheek.

"BITCH!" the boy cried. "What th' hell did ye do that for?"

"Never speak of my friends that way again. _Never._" She continued to glare at him. "You don't know what we went through together. You have no right to make such assumptions."

Hayden just gaped at her. Then, in one swift movement, he shoved his chair back and left the inn.

"Dollface," Slyde told her, "I don't think I've ever seen this side of ye."

"Life's full of surprises," she said, her voice low.

"Are ye goin' t' tell us 'bout yer friend now?" Roank asked.

"What is it you want to know?"

"Anythin' yer willin' t' tell us," he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. "Like how ye come t' know him so well that ye can fall asleep on th' floor with him without a second thought in that silly head o' yers."

"I've known him since I was," she paused to think. "I've known him practically forever. Longer than I can remember. He... he was my brother's best friend. Before he died that is."

She looked at the two men, waiting for their reactions. When she saw only their intent faces she continued, looking down at her hands and keeping her voice quiet and controlled. "I've thought him dead for the past four years." She looked up at them and said, "I'd thought you'd done it."

Roank's eyes widened and Slyde glanced at his companion. "Ye mean t' tell me that th' King o' Thieves is the boy Goethe tried t' drown in th' river four years back?"

Ribyyn nodded. "Gods," the man groaned, his face in his hands. "We are so dead."

~*~

It was late into the afternoon and Roank had been called away for one of his many tasks as head of the thieves in Port Caynn. Ribyyn had been silent while the two men discussed how to approach Darin Smith for hours, and remained silent while Slyde studied her.

"Rib," he said softly. She looked up at him and the thief saw exactly what he feared most, complete and utter innocence. The girl had no idea what she was getting into with the Rogue. "We need t' talk. Let's go upstairs." He pushed his chair out and stood up. Ribyyn followed him up the stairs and to Roank's private quarters above the small inn.

"Sit," he ordered. Ribyyn sat. "How well d'ye know this Darin fellow."

"I told you. I've known him forever."

"Yes but," he paused for effect. "It's been four years, Dollface. Folks change in four years. 'Specially when horrible things happen t' 'em."

"Darin hasn't changed that much."

"Was he persuin' ye romantically 'aforehand? An' don't try 'n tell me that he ain't got no romantic notions. I was at the breakfast table this mornin', remember." Slyde looked down at her, his eyes filled with worry.

"Yes. No. Sort of," she said softly. "I was only thirteen, Slyde. And he was afraid that if he'd said anything then Kalvin would make fun of him. He had his pride to hold on to! He'd only just told me how he felt the night before we got split up." She paused for a breath. "Everything that passed between us was merely friendly," she lied. "Don't hurt him Slyde! I've only just found him! I couldn't bear to lose him a second time!" Slyde wondered offhandedly why the girl was sticking up for the Rogue so much. He wasn't about to go and gut the man, though Hayden might be foolish enough to do so.

"Don't worry, love. I'm not about to go an' skin him. I'm smarter than that." He smiled down at her. "Just be careful, alright? And ye might want to ask Mum t' go diggin' in her jewelry box an' find ye a charm. Don't give me that look!" he scolded her as she blushed and scowled at him for intruding on her privacy. "I'm doin' what's best for ye, child. Ye'll appreciate it later. I promise ye."

She sighed and nodded her head in defeat. "Good," he said to her, and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "And remember, I'm always here if ye need someone t' talk to."

"Thanks Slyde," she said with a shy smile.

"Yer welcome. I could say more, but I'll let Mum handle that little 'girl-talk' thing." Her blush deepened and she glared at him. He laughed and put his hand on her shoulder, pushing her towards the door. "Now go an' find that lousy pickpocket o' yers!"

**_A/N_**: Ah...another chapter done! See what the Jewish holidays can do to a girl. I hate being stuck at home all weekend. Don't forget, if you review you get a cookie!

I was just talking to a friend of mine who's rereading all the Tortall books over again, and she said she came upon a part in Page where a character sings, "Books, books, books," and she finds this funny because she does the same thing. But she couldn't remember the character, so I told her it was Owen. And she says she can't remember why he said it, so I told her it was because they were going to the library because there wasn't enough room in Neal's room. And she told me I was hopelessly obsessed. Perhaps. :D


	10. Another Adventure

A/N: Wow...the votes have been tallied and it has come to this authors attention that Hayden is a brat. And the funny thing his namesake is acting like a superficial brat too. Coincidence? Probably, cause I didn't realize how much of a brat my friend was being until this week when he started blowing me off and shunning me. Anyway...I think I've become a Darin/Ribyyn shipper just like everyone else. But who knows...maybe Dasher will turn sweet (love/hate relationship --- lol Min). Maybe not. This chapter was such a pain in the ass to write...but it was necessary, and I can name at least 2 people who will enjoy it. ::wink::

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 10 - Another Adventure_

Ribyyn exited The Bard only to be grabbed immediately from behind. A hand slid itself over her mouth and somebody whispered in her ear, "Was it absolutely necessary to be in there that long?"

Ribyyn seized the wrist the hand was attached to, pulling it off her and twisting around to look into the laughing green eyes of Darin. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that! Didn't your mother teach you that?"

He grinned at her wryly. "I'm sure she did, but the real question is, _did I ever listen?_"

"Obviously not," she said in a huff. His grin broadened and he slid his wrist out of her grip and replaced his hand in her warm palm. "You're going to have to relearn your manners," she told him maternally.

Darin nodded, "Yes mother." He let his foolish grin fade into a happy smile. "So, are you going to show me around like you promised, or are we just going to stand here all day?"

Ribyyn smiled as an idea hit her. "Come on," she said tugging at his hand. "I have something to show you."

~*~

Jessalyn of Goldenlake looked up from the game she was playing with her younger brother Orlando. Two figures, one dressed in dark breeches and a pale shirt, the other, smaller, and in a pale summer dress, stood outside the gate of their townhouse. The smaller figure reached out and motioned with her hand as if to say, "Come here."

"Stay here Orlando," Jessa told the boy. Her younger brother glanced up and watched her walk towards the gate before turning back to his game.

"What are you doing here during the daytime?" Jessa hissed at Ribyyn.

Ribyyn only grinned. "Can we come in?"

"Are you mad?" Jessa had trouble controlling herself. A million questions flew into her head at once. What was Ribyyn doing here? Was she trying to get caught? What if she did get caught? Would she have to cover for the thief? And who was her cute friend?

"Probably," Ribyyn answered. "You never answered my question."

Jessa sighed and reached out to unlock the gate when a voice at her elbow said, "Who's your friend Jess?" Jessa jumped and glared down at her younger sister Karoline.

"Karo! Don't scare me like that!" The older girl opened the gate and admitted the two thieves. "They're friends," she told her sister, "Now go play with Orlando." Jessalyn watched as the seven year old skipped over to her older brother.

"Come on," Jessa said to Ribyyn and her friend. "Let's go inside."

~*~

Jessalyn opened the curtains in her father's library. Ribyyn immediately settled onto a comfy leather couch, spreading her skirts in such a way that Jessa was nearly jealous. How could a thief possibly be more lady-like than an actual lady? There had to be something she didn't know about her new friend.

Ribyyn's friend stood comfortably looking down at the young woman. The female thief looked up and smiled slyly at him. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Old habits die hard, huh?"

Ribyyn rolled her eyes. "At least my habits are better than yours, Mr. I-Snore-Like-A-Dying-Duck."

"Well, at least I don't giggle."

Jessa cleared her throat and looked pointedly at her friend. "Are you going to introduce me?"

Ribyyn sighed. "Jessa, Darin. Darin, Jessa. There, happy?" Ribyyn shot the young girl a look that said, "He's mine! You can't have him!" Jessa giggled as she eyed Darin, making him squirm under her gaze. The boy was quite handsome, for a commoner of course. He was tall and lithe, with beautiful blonde hair that, had it been untied, would have just brushed his shoulders. Where could Ribyyn have possibly found this _jewel_?

"Mithros," he sighed loudly. "Nobles are all alike." He busied himself by looking around the room and examining the books on the shelves.

Jessa sat down next to Ribyyn. "So, who is he?"

"The king of thieves."

Jessalyn nearly choked. "You brought the most wanted man in Tortall to my home? Don't you know how dangerous that is?" The fifteen year old's voice rose louder and louder with every word. She was quickly becoming hysterical. "Do you know who my father _is_?"

"Lord Alden of Goldenlake," Ribyyn answered simply. She heard Darin freeze behind her and knew immediately that there was something she was missing. Jessa stared at her as if she'd gone insane.

"Yes! And the head of the Royal Guards of Port Caynn!" Jessa opened her mouth to give Ribyyn the lecture of her life but was stopped when a large, calloused hand covered it. She felt a knife point at her throat.

"Darin," Ribyyn hissed at her friend. "Let her go."

"She'll rat me out, Rib," said his deep voice. Jessa, despite her fears, could only sigh. Here was this man, this _beautiful_ man, holding her to him. This was the closest she'd ever been to a man really, with the exception of her father and brother. And that horrible boy that had attacked her in the alleyway.

"I promise you, she won't give you away." Ribyyn stood still as her friend slowly released the young girl, who immediately sat herself on the plush carpeting on the floor. She slowly let out a held in breath and then clenched her shaking hands. As much as Jessa had enjoyed being crushed against Darin's built body, the knife point at her neck had terrified her.

"Jess," Ribyyn said quietly, "we need to talk."

~*~

"You're a _noble_?" Jessa gasped loudly after Ribyyn had explained her story. "Why didn't you tell me _before_? Now it's not a problem if my father sees you here!" Jessa had gone through hell trying to keep Ribyyn's visits a secret from her father. Karo and Orlando both knew of their sister's friendship with the thief. This didn't help at all, since her siblings had some of the largest flapping mouths Jessalyn had ever seen.

"But it is a problem," Ribyyn explained. "He's seen me, Jess. He knows I'm a wanted criminal!"

"Then why did he let you go?" Jessa insisted.

"I don't know!" Ribyyn searched her brain for some reasonable explanation. "Maybe he felt sorry for me."

"Does he know you're a noble?" the young girl questioned. Ribyyn shook her head. "He has no idea that you're the missing noble from Hadic?"

"Missing?" asked Darin, who'd been quiet since his short-lived attack on Jessa. "What do you mean missing? I thought they said she was dead."

Jessa shook her head. "There was no body. They just assumed that the raiders had taken her." She saw Ribyyn shiver at the very thought of being kidnapped by raiders. They usually lead to rape and an eventual death, though the body would never be found then. No wonder they had jumped to conclusions about it. "But now you can go to Corus, and tell them you're alive. You can get your home back."

"It's not my home," Ribyyn said quietly with a shake of her head. "At least not anymore."

"But you have the papers."

Ribyyn snorted, "It doesn't matter. The fief is passed down through the male line. I am most certainly not male." Darin smirked and she glared at him.

"Jessalyn!" cried a masculine voice from down the hallway. "Supper's ready!"

Jessa rose and poked her head out the doorway a bit. "I'm not really hungry right now, Papa. Could I come down later?"

"Jessa," Lord Alden sighed, his voice was nearer the room than it was before. Ribyyn grabbed Darin and pulled him behind the sofa. "Lady Bryttany would really like to see you."

"Well, she'll have to wait till another time. I don't feel like seeing her." Ribyyn noted the bitter tone in the fifteen year old's voice.

"Jess, can't you do it for me?" He entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"I don't want to see her!" she practically screamed.

"Jessa, what would your mother say?"

"She can't say anything, she's dead."

Lord Alden sighed, realizing that he was not going to be able to get through to his daughter tonight. "Fine, come down when you're hungry." He turned around and exited the room. As he closed the door behind him he said, "And don't forget to let your friends out the back way. If Bryt saw them she'd faint." He smiled at his astonished daughter. She wasn't about to give her two friends away, and Alden knew this.

Jessa watched as her father closed the door. "Goodnight Ribyyn and Ribyyn's friend," he said, and the three of them heard him walk down the hallway and down to supper.

Ribyyn's head popped up over the couch to look questioningly at Jessa. The young girl only sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to hurt Orlando, and I'm going to steal Karo's doll. Maybe they'll learn a lesson that way."

~*~

Hayden strolled down the empty street, kicking up the dirt and dust that had gathered on the sides. He'd been miserable since this morning when he and Ribyyn had fought. Deep down, he knew his friend was in the right. There had been no reason to accuse the Rogue of anything. _Damned jealousy,_ he thought. And then he realized, he _was_ jealous.

He'd never been in a situation like this, so it was no wonder he hadn't realized the feelings that had been coursing through his body. It was just that he'd never had any competition when it came to Ribyyn before. He'd been her best friend since she came to live with them. And then there was the kisses, that at first she rejected with such passion, but afterwards she was the one giving them.

Hayden shook his head and decided that he'd never understand girls.

He continued to kick up dust, making the bottoms of his breeches and his soft boots filthy with brown dirt. His mother would throw a fit. He paused to look at the damage, trying to glare the dirt off. Suddenly he was shoved from the front and could feel himself falling backwards. He landed gracelessly on the side of the street, covering himself in even more filth.

Looking up to see who the culprit was he saw a girl sitting across from him who was just as soiled as he was. He stared at her for a moment, his mouth hanging open. Even covered from head to toe in filth she was quite pretty, with blonde curls that just brushed her shoulders and large, doe-like, brown eyes. But that wasn't why he was shocked.

The girl, though her face seemed mature, couldn't possibly have been anymore than thirteen. She was scrawny, and bony, and small, but with a rather over-developed bosom, at least for a thirteen year old.

He continued to stare until the girl looked him straight in the eye and said, "What th' hell are ye lookin' at?"

Hayden blinked, caught off-guard by her forthright language. "Huh?"

"Why're ye lookin' at me like that?"

"Who are you?"

"Name's, Min." She pulled herself up off the ground, dusting off her behind, and then extended a hand to help him up. "That's short for something ye'll never know about, so don't bother askin'." She pulled him up, quite strong for her small build, which would explain how he got knocked off his feet when she ran into him. "Who're ye?"

"Hayden Alexzander," he said as he shook the small, soft hand that was still in his.

"Alexzander, eh?" she questioned him, looking thoughtful. "Any relation to a Slyde Alexzander?"

"That depends on why yer askin'."

"Fer my own interests," she said with a smile. Her voice was so believable, but her eyes crinkled, and Hayden spotted the lie.

"Ye think I'm a fool? Yer lyin' through that lovely smile o' yers."

"Ye really think it's lovely?" she flashed him another grin.

He rolled his eyes and asked again, "Who wants t' know?"

"I already told ya."

Hayden sighed, giving in, and nodded his head in the affirmative. "Yes, he's my brother."

"Yer too cute, t' be related t' an ass like that."

"Pardon?" Hayden wasn't sure what he found more shocking, that the girl knew about her brother (and had called him what she did) or that she found him attractive. _Cute,_ he reminded himself, _she called me cute._ "How do ye know Slyde?"

"I know someone who dislikes him. Forgive me if I've been fed the wrong information," she smirked and looked down at her boots. Hayden realized that she was embarrassed.

"I think ye have been fed lies, but I'll overlook that." He studied her for a moment and then came to a decision. "Join me fer a drink an' I'll tell ye what he's really like."

Min looked up at him, trying to figure out what his real motives might be. Unable to look past his dashing smile, beautiful eyes, and the soft curls that fell in front of them, she had to succumb. She nodded and followed him into a nearby tavern.

**_A/N_**: The people I know keep getting written into this story. Hayden, Jessa, James, Min who wanted Hayden and Bryt who wanted Alden. G. R&R


	11. The Arrest

A/N: This is my sudden inspiration chapter. I was watching Beauty and the Beast and all of a sudden it just slapped me in the face. I love it when that happens. Plus it's nice and long, with an enjoyable rant at the end. Have fun.

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 11 - The Arrest_

It was the first time that Darin had been out of Ribyyn's company in weeks. Mistress Alexzander had recognized the beginning symptoms of a cold with the young woman this morning over breakfast, and insisted that she stay home, in bed, with some chicken soup. Darin could tell by the look on her face that she had planned to sneak out and go haring off on adventures. When Glynice saw the mischievous look in her eyes, she confined the girl to sitting on the couch by the fire in the common room, wrapped in a blanket. That way, there would be no chance of escape, at least not with Glynice sitting there with her.

The Rogue glanced around the marketplace, somewhat unaware of what was going on around him. Busy people bustled back and forth, from store to store. On his right was a bakery with pastries so fresh the steam was still rising from them. To his left was a spice shop. He could see the bottles lined up on display. Cinnamon, paprika, chive, nutmeg, and more, all sitting in a row. Nobles rushed in and out of the stores emptying their pockets of their money and filling their bags with goods. Darin loved the city. He was unsure as to how he'd lived in the mountains and stayed sane, to a degree.

His fingers itched as he strolled past the rich nobles. He hadn't picked a pocket in weeks. Not since he'd left Corus at least. Reaching out to untie a purse attached to a man's belt he stopped his hand a few inches before it had reached it's goal. There were two young girls and a small boy standing next to the man. He recognized the older girl's curls before anything else. This was Lord Alden, who'd known he'd had thieves in the house, but had done nothing about it.

Darin slipped his hand into his own pocket and pulled one of Ribyyn's purple silk hair-ties. He smiled to himself as he casually walked past Jessa, slipping the ribbon into her pocket, purposely bumping her side as he pulled his hand out. She turned to look at him and he winked at her. She gave a small gasp, but quickly turned her attention back to whatever it had been on before hand.

Jessa waited a bit before reaching into her pocket and pulling out whatever Darin had placed in it. When she pulled out the silk hair tie that she had seen Ribyyn wearing earlier that week she gasped again. Orlando glanced at her, but could not be distracted from the magician's trick for long. Not if he wanted to learn it.

Alden leaned down towards his daughter and whispered in her ear, "Next time you see your friend, be sure to tell him to keep his hands to himself. I wouldn't want him to be caught by The Guard." Jessa bit her lip to hide her smile, and went back to watching the magician.

~*~

Hayden was, once again, in the company of Min. He had met her every day at noon at the same tavern, The Dancing Bear. He found that he enjoyed her company. She wasn't like the other girls he knew, Ribyyn excluded. Hayden had slowly come to the realization that he and Ribyyn were far too close to have any type of relationship other than the brotherly-sisterly kind. Of course, he was too stubborn to admit that to her. Not that it mattered, Ribyyn probably wouldn't have listened even if he had tried talking to her.

"Hayden," Min said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Hayden, are ye listenin' t' me?"

"Huh?" Hayden shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Sorry, Min. I was-"

"Distracted? Ye haven't talked t' her yet, have ye?" Min knew all about what had happened between Ribyyn and Hayden.

"No," he said with a sigh. "She's always around Darin. She never wants t' talk t' me."

"Ye haven't even tried. Ye should try, Hayds."

Hayden sighed again, and insisted that they change the subject. He was getting depressed. Min grimaced and wrinkled her brow in thought. Hayden watched her, intrigued. Though Min looked like she was only thirteen, she was in reality the same age as Ribyyn (A/N: seventeen folks). Her small size was made up for by her large mouth, which was constantly flapping. It was only when she was thinking hard that she was silent.

"Tell me more about yer brother," she said suddenly. This surprised Hayden, for he knew that Min was not fond of Slyde in the least.

"What's to tell? Ye know almost everything."

She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her palms. "What's he really like? Ye talk about him more'n ye think, and every time it's always good."

"He's my brother. Why should I speak bad about him?"

"All th' stuff I've heard's been bad. 'Cept fer when it comes outta yer mouth."

"Then ye've been fed a load of bull," he laughed. "I know it sounds soppy, but Slyde's got th' kindest heart of anybody I met. He's devoted his life to protecting Ribyyn, though she doesn't like t' be reminded of that."

"Why'd he do somethin' like that?"

Hayden grimaced and merely said, "Circumstances." Min seemed to accept this as a full answer and the two friends sat in silence. They didn't need to talk. In the span of a few weeks they'd learned so much about each other, it was as if they'd been friends for years.

~*~

Ribyyn heaved a deep sigh and Slyde glared at her for the fifth time in ten minutes. "Sweet," he said, "if ye keep doing that yer going t' collapse a lung."

Ribyyn grimaced and turned pink. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so _bored_." She sneezed, and wiped her nose on the already sopping kerchief. She closed her eyes, and rested her head on the back of the couch, wrapping herself up tighter in the blankets. "Slyde," she asked, "could you tell me something?"

Slyde put down the book he was reading. "What would that be, Dear heart?"

"Hayden's always mentioning your sister as if I knew her. But all I know is her name." Ribyyn opened her eyes and looked at the thief, who was studying the stitching of the arm of the chair he sat in. "I don't know much else. Will you tell me what happened to her?"

Slyde bit his lip, and closed the book with a snap. He looked up at Ribyyn, who, though she didn't look much like his baby sister, reminded him so much of Daisy. Looking back down at the chair he shook his head.

Watching her feet with some sort of fascination, Ribyyn realized she had overstepped the lines that had been drawn the day she entered this home. She was asking a personal question, even though she'd promised herself to never get too close with these people. But, she realized, she'd broken that promise long ago. When she'd befriended Slyde and especially when she started a relationship with Hayden. No matter if that relationship was over and done with, or even if Hayden never spoke to her again; she still cared about him in a brotherly sense.

"Daisy was sixteen when she died," Slyde said suddenly, making Ribyyn jump. "She was beautiful, with hair of gold and eyes the color of the sky. And her laugh was like the tinkling of glass. She was smiling all the time," he paused and smirked, "like you when you aren't mad at Hayden." Ribyyn blushed.

"It was late August when it began. I was about nineteen or so and Hayden was about twelve. She started a relationship with some lad. Never told anybody who it was. She was always coming home late, and sneaking in through windows and the like." He paused and Ribyyn saw a faraway look in his eyes. She wondered if she got the same look when she talked to Darin about what had happened to them. "She snuck into my room one night and told me all about how in love she was. And of course, I had to be happy for her, even if I was just pretending. I knew it wouldn't last, she was only sixteen after all."

He paused and Ribyyn waited to see if he was going to continue. He didn't, and she asked quietly, "What happened?"

"I don't know," he said looking at her, directly at her and not through her. "One day my Yellow-Daisy was here and the next she was gone. She'd been out one night, and she just never came back." He stopped and Ribyyn wondered if that was the end.

"I watched her leave," he said, "and I told her to be back before dawn, but she never came back." He closed his eyes, and Ribyyn saw a lone tear slide down his cheek. "All I know is that she was found a week later bloody, and rotting, and burned." Another tear slide down his cheek, and another followed that one.

Ribyyn sniffed, and not from her cold, and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. Her cheeks were wet as well. "You miss her, don't you?" she croaked.

"Desperately. Sometimes, so much that it hurts."

Ribyyn pulled herself off the couch and went over to Slyde, who'd been like a brother to her for the past four years, and wrapped her arms around him, letting her tears flow down her cheeks and onto his shirt. He was crying for his sister, but she was crying for the hurt he felt. Slyde pulled her into his lap and they sat like that for a while, crying, silently.

They didn't move until they heard a knock on the door. Ribyyn climbed off his lap and went to go answer the door. Upon opening it she saw Roank. He looked worried.

"Hi," she said softly, moving aside to let him in. "Is something wrong?"

He nodded sullenly. "Is Slyde around?"

As if on cue, Slyde appeared wiping the remnants of tears off his cheeks. "What is it?"

"We've got a problem." Ribyyn stood there listening to the conversation pass between the two thieves. Apparently, two members of the rogue had been taken by the royal guard. Except one of them was innocent. This had caused problems among the thieves and now they were ready to riot in the square. Roank needed help calming them before more got arrested. When Slyde asked for names, Roank was unable to give them, saying that names had not been released.

Slyde sighed, not wanting to leave Ribyyn alone by herself. He glanced down at the seventeen year old, wrapped up in her heavy blanket, with her red, blotchy, eyes and equally red nose. He smirked to himself, bent down, and kissed her forehead. "Stay inside," he ordered. "Get some sleep. I'll probably be back late, but Mum and Hayden should be home soon." And with that he grabbed a cloak and followed Roank out the door.

~*~

It was late in the afternoon when Darin decided he was lost. _I should have just stayed home today_, he told himself. He noted that there was nobody around, which he found odd for only fifth bell. The stores never closed until sixth bell, at least.

Taking a left down an alleyway he grinned when he realized that it took him back to Market street. His grin widened when he came out and saw Jessa's golden curls again. If he wasn't careful, her father might think his daughter was being stalked. Walking towards the noble family he saw another familiar figure. Dasher was in the market as well today.

_Well,_ he said to himself. _ It's nice to know he does some normal thieving things, as well as all the extras on the side_. Darin watched the rogue thief carefully, noticing his every move. He was so involved in his observations of the thief that he'd completely forgotten about Jessa and her family.

Meanwhile, Jessa's younger sister, Karoline, had wandered away from her father. Lord Alden had been absorbed with his two older children all day, what with Orlando being his son and today being Jessa's birthday. Quite frankly, she felt ignored, but knew that a new hair clip would make everything all better. Making her way over towards the booth that sold hair ties and other accessories she pulled at the tie of her purse, undoing it and pulling out a few coppers.

Holding them tightly in her hand she picked out a sparkling blue hair clip. As she reached out to hand the woman who ran the stall her money somebody bumped her from behind. She yelped and dropped the coins all over.

"Oh," said a masculine voice, "I'm sorry, miss. Here let me help you." The man bent down to pick up the coins, which was a nice gesture, but Karo did not feel she needed the help, especially after she saw the man slip a few of them into his pocket.

"Hey!" she cried out. "Those are mine!"

He looked up at her, grinned, jumped up, and was about to take off when he was grabbed from behind.

The second man whirled the first around and growled, "Been lookin' for ye, Dasher." Then he punched the man in the face.

Karo shrieked in fear, getting the much wanted attention of her father, who rushed over and pulled her out of harms way. Orlando watched, cheering them on with the rest of the crowd and enjoying the fight quite a lot until his father glared at him.

Karo stared in fright at the two men fighting. The second man was delivering some awfully nice punches on the other man, who got lucky with a few swings. But she knew the fight would not last very long, and she was right. Only moments after it started, three men from the guard strode in and broke the two men up.

"But, sirs," cried the first man, "He's a wanted thief. I saw him try to attack a small girl so I tried to stop him, but he punched me instead. It was only my right to defend myself."

Karo opened her mouth to protest, but Lord Alden silenced her with a finger to her lips and a tightened grip on her shoulder.

The guard who held Karo's defender peered closely at him. "Man's right," he announced to his fellows. "C'mon, thief boy. Let's go." The soldier turned to his comrades and called out, "Take the other as well, we can use him as a witness."

"But he's the one who tried to rob me, Papa!" Karo said to her father. "Not the other way around."

Lord Alden nodded, "Come with me Karo, we'll get this cleared up." He turned to Jessa and his son. "The two of you, go home. _No detours_." Though he looked at both of them, Jessa knew he was talking only to her.

The crowd dispersed, and Orlando and Jessa made their way back to their home. Jessa was forced to listen to Orlando drone on about what a "jolly" fight it had been. He couldn't wait to tell his friends. Jessa however had other things on her mind. Her eyes scanned the street and landed on a familiar dark mop of hair.

"Hayden!" she cried out, causing Orlando to jump. Hayden looked over at her and blinked, as if trying to remember who she was. Jessa turned to her brother and whispered, "Stay here," before running over to her friend's friend.

"Hayden," she gasped as she came up to him. "Darin's been arrested. He's being charged for attacking my sister."

~*~

Ribyyn was sitting on the couch reading the book that Slyde had left on the table when Hayden burst into the house. The book wasn't all that interesting but it was better than sitting around and doing nothing. She looked up at Hayden, her face emotionless. "What's wrong with you?"

He ignored her question and dashed up the stairs. She put the book back down and stood up, wrapping herself up tightly in the blanket. Walking over to the base of the stairs, she was nearly trampled when Hayden came barreling down them.

"Sorry," he gasped. "Where's Slyde?"

"He left about a half hour ago. Something about an arrest."

Hayden stared at her. "Did he say who?"

"Roank came with the news, but no. He said names hadn't been released." She looked up at her friend. "Why," she asked, "Is something wrong?"

Hayden nodded sadly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sit down," he said, and pushed her down onto the stairs.

"I was at th' Dancing Bear with Min and I heard some commotion outside, but I wasn't really paying any attention to it at all since it was down the street a bit. Anyway, when I was walkin' home I ran into yer lady friend." Ribyyn looked at him curiously. "Jessalyn of Goldenlake," he explained. "She saw the whole thing."

"What is it you aren't telling me?"

"Darin's been caught Rib. He got into a fist fight with Dasher and they got arrested."

Ribyyn turned white and Hayden watched as emotions flashed across her face. "We have to rescue him."

"But ye told me that Slyde an' Roank-"

Ribyyn interrupted him. "They went to stop the rest of the thieves from doing anything stupid." She stared at him intently, her eyes pleading. "Names weren't released, Hayden!" she began to scream. "They won't know it was Darin who got caught! They won't try and rescue him!"

"I know that. But what can we do?"

"_We_ can go and rescue him," she repeated.

"Are you mad?" Hayden yelled at her, quickly realizing that he was asking the wrong person. "Ribyyn, if we get caught we're just as dead!"

"Hayden," she begged, her eyes ready to overflow with tears. "Hayden, please. I lost him once. I can't lose him again!" (A/N: CLICHÉ LINE! ::laughs::)

The boy looked down at her and into her bright, blue, eyes. He tried to stop himself, he really did, but he found he couldn't deny her what she wanted. "Alright," he sighed. "Alright, we'll go rescue him." She shrieked in delight and leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting her lips on his cheek.

"We'll go rescue him," he repeated, "But if we die, I'm never speaking to you again."

**A/N**: I really like this chapter. I really, really, really, do. It's my favorite one so far, cause I think it actually makes my story GO somewhere. Tell me what you think.

Now, before you go and click the lovely periwinkle colored button at the bottom of the page, I would like to say something about reviews. Reviews like flames. I'm always up to constructive criticism. Honest. But reviews like this:  
----- **this is so predictable.i hate suspense tho..bores me.cliffhangers 2..also boring** -----  
are unwelcome. Mostly because it's slightly indecipherable, but also because it doesn't help me IMPROVE my story, which is what constructive criticism is all about. Therefore, this is a **_flame_**! Now, to the anonymous person who wrote this blatant **_flame_** I have only to say this...

_I'm sorry you feel my story is predictable. Suggestions for improvement would be helpful. As for your dislike of suspense, there's a simple (and logical) solution. Don't read it. It is clearly stated in the summary that this is a suspense story, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Like you, I dislike cliffhangers, but mostly because they are annoying - not boring. I honestly, didn't think I had any REAL cliffhangers in this story, but I could always be wrong. Lastly I would like to suggest taking some English classes to improve your sentence structure. And don't forget to put a space between the period and the first letter in the next sentence._

I would like to point out that the person only read to the third chapter before telling me how much I sucked. You cannot judge this story on the first three chapters, especially since there are 10 (Now 11). Besides, at least it's easy to read, unlike said review/**_flame_**.

Okay, I'm done ranting. Next chapter coming soon...


	12. Search and Rescue

A/N: Continuation of the sudden inspiration. I'm at a loss as to what should happen next. Everything has been fixed between the real Hayden and me. I feel much better when he's talking to me. As much as I told myself it didn't matter, I find that it really did.

**Very long! Enjoy!**

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 12 - Search and Rescue_

"We're gonna die," Hayden whispered to himself. "We're so gonna die."

Ribyyn rolled her eyes and pinched her friend, ignoring him when he swore at her. The two thieves sat at the wall that separated the city and the temple district, on their way to the summer palace where Darin had been taken to. Wrapped up in two sweaters and a cloak, Ribyyn felt practically immobile. She envied Hayden, who was able to wander around in the dead of winter in only a thin shirt and never get sick.

"So what's the plan from here?" he asked her, disturbing her thoughts.

"Well," she explained, "if you'd stay silent for more than five seconds I'd be able to think of something."

"You mean there's no plan?"

"Not so far."

"I was right. We're gonna die."

~*~

"Mithros," Roank groaned, "You'd think they'd arrested half the court the way these folk carry on."

Slyde and Roank meandered through Market Street on their way back to the Alexzander home. It hadn't taken much to calm the nerves of the upset thieves. The knowledge that Dasher had been arrested was enough to reassure them.

Slyde sighed deeply. "I wish the second name would hurry up and get released, though something tells me that as soon as it is, I'll regret ever wanting to hear it."

Roank smiled at his companion, "It's just nerves." He sneezed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Come on man, let's get t' yer house. It's cold as a bitch's heart out here."

Slyde smiled back. "Interesting simile Roank. You're becoming downright intellectual. I'd best watch out for you, else someone'll ship ye off to th' university."

Roank laughed as the Alexzander home came into view. The two men walked up to the door and knocked. Slyde, who was expecting Ribyyn to open the door, was surprised to see his mother answer it.

"Where is she?" his mother demanded as she let the two men into the house. Slyde froze and Roank glanced at his friend, confused.

"Where is who?" Roank asked.

"Ribyyn," Glynice explained. "She's gone. Slyde, I told you not to let her out of the house."

"You speak of her as if she's a dog, Mother," Slyde said bitterly. "And I didn't 'let her out of the house.' She must have gone out by herself. Though it surprises me because I told her to stay inside."

"Was Hayden home?" she asked her son.

"No," Slyde answered shortly and then continued. "Why? He's not home either?" His mother shook her head.

Slyde was quiet for a moment. "What about Darin?" he asked suddenly.

Glynice looked askance at her oldest child. "He's not here either. Why would you worry about him?"

Slyde swore, and his train of thought became suddenly clear to Roank. "They've gone after him haven't they?" Slyde nodded.

"Gone after who? Slyde, what is going on?"

"There was an arrest at the market a few hours ago, Mother. I'll bet it was Darin and I don't know how, but Hayden must know it. Two coppers says he came rushing home to tell Ribyyn the news."

"He probably intended to make her cry," Roank interrupted his friend. "Except, that's illogical. She may be a girl, but she's certainly not a baby."

"It doesn't matter what he intended to make her do," Slyde explained. "The point is he told her and they went out after him."

"Why would they do something stupid like that?" Glynice cried in frustration.

"Because Hayden cares about Ribyyn, Mother. And Ribyyn's not about to let Darin go a second time." Slyde looked down at his feet, shamefaced. "I shouldn't have left her home alone."

"Well," Glynice said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at her son when she realized he was not making any attempts to leave. "Aren't you going after them?"

"Mother, as much as I'd like to go and stop them, that would be just as stupid. This was _hours_ ago and we've no idea when they left. By now they could be in the palace, and that place is more of a rat trap than the lower city is."

~*~

"Ribyyn, wait." Hayden said. "Let's go back. It's not too late."

Ribyyn looked at her friend as if he'd gone mad. "You must be joking me. Of course it's too late, Hayden. We've already snuck past at least eight guards."

"So, I'll bet you there's more than eight guards ahead of us."

"Hayden," she begged. "Please. I know you don't like Darin but-"

"Who said I didn't like Darin?" Ribyyn didn't bother answering his question. Rather, she settled for giving him an incredulous look. "Alright, fine, I don't like the man that much, but only because I don't really know his motives."

Ribyyn smiled as she poked her head out of the alcove they hid in to see if the coast was clear. "As if your motives were any better."

"They wouldn't hurt you."

"Neither will his. Hayden," she explained, "he's known me since I was little. If anybody's motives were ever crystal clear, it's his. I can read Darin like a book." She grinned to herself as they exited their hidey-hole. "Besides, I hear you've a new love interest."

"She's not a _love interest_, Ribyyn. She's my friend."

"Mmm-hmm."

"I'm serious."

"I believe you."

"No you don't," Hayden said, glaring at the back of her head. She just chuckled and continue down the hallway. The palace was dark, even though it was only just past sunset. There were no windows except at the ends of the hall and all the rooms that opened up into the passageway were closed. They were having a hard time finding the staircase with the little light they had. Hayden sighed, mumbling to himself about obstinate girls. Ribyyn took a right, then a left, then another right, and finally found some stairs that led down.

"Do you know where we are?" Hayden asked her as they walked down the dark stairway and exited into an even darker corridor, if that were possible. He reached out and grabbed a nearby torch; the first lit one that they'd actually seen.

"No idea," she said shortly, though the smell told her differently. The stench was horrible; a mix of rotting flesh and rotting food. Wherever they were, it certainly wasn't aired out often, or even cleaned. A good scrubbing would probably do the place good. "I'm just hoping we end up in the right place."

"Ribyyn?" came a quiet call. The girl froze. "Ribyyn," the voice said again. "Rib, it's me!"

"Darin?" she whispered, though it seemed louder in the quiet of the dungeon. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" he said softly, and she saw a shadow wave itself down the hall a bit. She and Hayden tiptoed quietly over to the cell that contained the King of Thieves. "What are you two doing here?" the man hissed at them.

"Rescuing you," Ribyyn hissed back as Hayden pulled the lock picks out of his pocket and began to unlock the cell.

"You two shouldn't be here!" Darin snapped at them. "Hayden stop! Leave, both of you! Go home!"

Hayden just stared at the man, surprised at his resistance. "I would," he answered, "but Ribyyn might bite me. And then I might get a disease. I'd rather just deal with the wrath of The Guard if it's all the same to you." He smirked and waited for Darin's response. The Rogue's lips didn't even twitch.

Darin turned to Ribyyn. "Please, Rib," he begged. "You don't know how dangerous it is down here."

"No more dangerous than the lower city," she replied. "Hayden, have you got it?"

"Almost," he said. He heard a click and the door of the cell swung open. He grinned and looked up at Ribyyn. "I am a genius."

"Mmm," she said as she entered the cell, pulling out her own lock picks. She kneeled down next to Darin and began working on the locks on his ankles and wrists.

"Ribyyn, stop," Darin continued to plead. "Lock the door up again and leave. You can do it still. It's not too late. I'll pretend I never saw you."

Ribyyn looked up at him, shock and hurt filled her eyes. "Do you really want me to do that?" she asked. "Do you really want me to turn around and pretend I don't care? To act as if you don't matter?" Darin looked down and shook his head, though the movement was almost unnoticeable. "That's what I thought," she said with a smile as she unlocked the final cuff on his wrist. "Now give me a quick kiss and let's get out of here."

Despite her request, the kiss was nowhere near quick. She could tell by the way Darin hugged her close that he'd truly thought he was dead. Hayden harrumphed to get their attention.

"Might we get moving? This place is foul." Hayden turned around and stalked towards where he and Ribyyn had entered the dungeon. Ribyyn followed and Darin went after her.

Ribyyn's wrist was suddenly grabbed and she was pulled down next to another cell. "Ribyyn," said a husky voice. "You have to get me out of here too."

It was Dasher. As Ribyyn sat up she pulled herself out of his tight grip. "Please," he begged. "You can't leave me here! I'll die!"

"Why should we care?" Hayden scoffed. "You've only ever been nasty to us."

"I'll change," Dasher exclaimed. "I swear to Mithros I will. Just let me out."

Ribyyn bit her lip. The renegade thief was absolutely right. Her morals would not let her leave him there to die. She sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. "We let you out, and you turn over a new leaf," she offered. "No more attacking innocent children, no more stealing from innocent children, no more fighting The Court. Do we have a deal?"

Dasher nodded emphatically and Ribyyn set herself to work on opening the lock. She had it open in moments and was soon working on the chains on his wrists and ankles. He was out after only a few minutes. Together, he and Ribyyn left the cell.

Walking quietly down the hall, they reached the stairway. It took all of their control not to run up them. The whole scenario was almost dreamlike. It was so simple.

They reached the top and Dasher rushed up to the front of the small group. "Thanks folks," he said with a sly grin. "See ya!" And with that final farewell he ran down the hallway at top speed. The three thieves did not go after him.

"Stupid," Hayden muttered. "I hope he gets caught again."

"Perhaps we should leave," Darin suggested. "We are still three thieves in the royal palace after all."

"Let's go this way," Ribyyn said, and walked off to the right.

"What do you mean, 'let's go this way'?" Darin asked concerned. "Does that mean you don't know where we are?"

"Yes," Hayden said with a sigh. "Slyde always said this place was a rat trap."

The three wandered through the halls aimlessly, without any clue as to where they were or what direction they were heading. Turning down passages on a whim they soon found that the halls were getting more crowded and they were frequently hiding behind curtains and in dark corners.

Together, they turned down another passage only to find themselves in front of two very grand, very large, very heavy, and very expensive looking gilt doors. Behind the doors they could hear the lilting sounds of violins and violas and cellos playing to the tune of "Manchin's Springtime," a popular dance among the nobles. The deep voices of the lords and the light laughs of their ladies filtered through the doors as well. Ribyyn knew immediately what that meant.

"They're having a ball," she groaned.

~*~

Luther walked briskly down the hallway trying to straighten his gold and red page's uniform. He was late to the banquet, and knew he would get a mouthful from Master Oberlin.

He turned the corner just in time to see the heavy door start to swing closed. Running faster, he caught it and slipped into the room un-noticed, heading towards the kitchen.

~*~

"That was close," Hayden muttered from where he, Ribyyn, and Darin crouched behind three large suits of armor. They were mostly hidden, but not very well. If someone looked hard, they would surely be found. He looked over to Ribyyn, who, if Hayden knew her as well as he thought he did, was probably formulating a plan as they sat there. Instead, she was staring with a blank look on her face at the scene before her. "What is it?"

"It's worse than a ball," she whispered. "It's a banquet."

"Well now what?" Darin asked. Hayden realized that, for perhaps the first time, the Thief King was more nervous than he was.

Ribyyn was deep in thought. Suddenly her eyes lit up and the two men knew she had thought up a plan. "Darin," she turned to him, "Do you remember when we were young, how Lady Sienna would hold the feasts?" Darin nodded slowly. "And do you remember how she forced Kalvin and me to go, even though Father said we didn't have to?"

The Rogue nodded again. "Where is this going?" he asked with suspicion.

"Well, we always would escape from them in the middle, remember?" This time Darin gave no response and simply waited for her to continue. "We couldn't just get up from the table and walk out, we had to leave without Lady Sienna catching us." She paused, waiting for one of them to ask how they had done it. Hayden looked at her blankly. Darin's face was skeptical.

Darin finally broke the silence. "Fine. I don't think it'll work, but it's better than going back the way we came."

"Wait," Hayden said, confused. "What's the plan?"

"We crawl underneath all the tables until we reach the kitchens," Ribyyn explained. "The kitchens always have a door leading outside, or at least a stairway leading down to the outside."

"And you know this, how?"

"I _am_ a noble, remember. Now shut up and follow my lead."

"Yes, Your Highness," Hayden muttered to himself, as he followed his two companions.

~*~

Jessalyn of Goldenlake sat at the head table, with her younger brother on her left and her soon-to-be stepmother on her right.

It wasn't that Jessa didn't like Lady Bryttany, it was just that the lady was not her mother. Ever since her mother's death when Karoline was born, Lord Alden's life had revolved around his three children. Now life would be so different, and Jessa hated change. She glanced over at her brother and sister sitting beside her. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Orlando could care less about getting a new mother; he was still Alden's oldest and only son. Karo was thrilled; she'd never experienced having a mother. It seemed to Jessa that she was the only one in a sour mood.

"Jessalyn," Lady Bryttany said sweetly. Jessa winced at the use of her given name. "You're awfully quiet tonight. Is something bothering you?" Jessa looked over at her father's betrothed. She desperately needed somebody to talk to, and usually that person would be her father. He was, however, deep in conversation with King Jonathan. (A/N King Jonathan I that is)

Jessa made a decision. "Lady Bryttany," she began, but the lady interrupted her.

"Please, love. Bryttany will do just fine," the woman said.

Jessa relaxed and smiled. "I have this problem." Bryttany smiled encouragingly. "It has to do with the arrest this afternoon."

Bryttany raised her brows in surprise. "I understand how your sister was involved in that, but I thought it was all settled."

"_That_ part was settled," Jessa told her. "But they said that the first man accused of attacking Karo is still under arrest. He's the King of the thieves."

"How does this concern you, dear?" the older woman asked curiously, taking a sip of her wine.

"He's," Jessa paused. "He's a friend of a friend."

Lady Bryttany raised her brow in disbelief. "You're friends with thieves? Does your father know this?"

"I'm pretty sure," Jessa said with a small smile on her face. "There isn't much I can get past him."

"So your friend is in trouble?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jessa answered politely. "I know there isn't anything we can do though. Not since he's a wanted criminal."

"I'm sorry, Jess." Lady Bryttany sighed and gave the girl a small hug around the shoulders.

Meanwhile, the three thieves were busy sneaking across the grand ballroom. Crawling under tables was very slow. They were always making sure that they were not placing their hands on any feet, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid swinging legs. People were getting restless as they sat at the banquet.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they reached the kitchen doors. "We'll have to make a dash for it," Ribyyn whispered back to her friends. "On three, ready?" They nodded. "One, two, three!" She rushed out from under the table and practically threw herself at the kitchen doors, dropping to her knees and crawling under the counter as soon as she entered. Her two companions followed.

"Now, let's get to that door as fast as possible," she said, and together the three of them set out on their hands and knees to the door.

Suddenly a pair of sturdy feet stepped out in front of her. "And just where do ye three think y'er goin'?" asked a husky, feminine voice. Ribyyn looked up, only to see the intense stare that the head kitchen lady was giving her. "There's work t' be done! Get yer sorry little arses movin'!"

Ribyyn could only stare in amazement at the woman. She thought they were servants. This could either turn out very good or very bad.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the situation was going to be the latter. The woman reached down and grabbed Ribyyn by the ear, tossing her lightly towards the counter and a tray. "I said, get movin' girl! Surely ye know we're short on hands tonight, what with the King here and all. That tray goes t' his table. Make sure yer neither seen nor heard. I want no complaints! Now go!" The old woman turned to the boys. "You," she screamed and pointed at Darin. "In an apron, now! I want those trays to sparkle!"

"And you," she snapped at Hayden. "Take that tray with the bowl to the table in the corner. The ladies need to clean their hands again. Get a move on!"

Ribyyn shot Hayden and Darin a desperate look. Darin only shrugged and put on his apron, while Hayden picked up his tray and walked out the door. Sadly, Ribyyn picked up her tray and followed.

~*~

_This is just perfect_, Hayden thought to himself. _Just peachy. That's the last time I **ever** listen to one of Ribyyn's ideas_. It took all his willpower not to stomp over to his assigned table.

Keeping his head down, so that he wouldn't make eye contact with any of the ladies, he was surprised when he heard one of them say his name.

"_Hayden_," came a surprised voice.

He looked up to meet the eyes of Min, and immediately lost his voice. Min was here! Why was Min here?

"Hayden, what are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was invited."

"Invited?" Hayden was having trouble controlling the level of his voice. "Why would you be invited to a noble's party?"

"Because my uncle is one."

"You're uncle? But that would make you-"

"A noble as well, yes."

"But your accent-"

"Is fake."

"Your clothes-"

"My brother's hand-me-downs."

"You lied to me!" he hissed.

"No, you assumed things. You should get moving, the other ladies are getting curious." And with that she picked up her glass of wine and guzzled quite a bit of it down.

_Min is a noble?_ Hayden asked himself as he finished letting the remaining ladies clean their hands. _A noble. Another noble! Great, just what I needed! __The gods must see my life as some wonderful joke. I bet they're laughing at me right now._

~*~

Ribyyn walked nervously to the head table. She, a wanted criminal, had to meet the King. She had to _serve_ the King his food. She was almost positive that Hayden had some form of clairvoyance; they were all going to die. Very soon.

She swallowed and walked up to the King, making sure that she kept her head bowed so that he could not see her face. "Your Majesty," she said softly, dipping a small curtsey and holding the tray out to him.

"Thank you, child," the King said. "Just put it down." The King turned back to the man he'd been speaking to. "Alden, has your daughter met my niece, Mindalyn of King's Reach?" (A/N: This is a real name. I found it on a website.)

A familiar voice answered him. "No, I don't believe so. Jessa, sweet, come here."

The shock that hit Ribyyn made her drop the tray in surprise. Stunned to see the mess she had made and terrified at what she had done she dropped to her knees and lowered her head, babbling an apology.

Jessa, who was standing next to her father, leaned over the mess to see the small, frightened, child. She paled when she recognized the dark curls that fell around the serving girls shoulders.

Alden saw his daughter's face lose it's color and new immediately that there was something wrong. "Child," he said kindly to the girl, "there is no need to apologize. It was simply an accident." He stood up and walked around the table. "Here, get up. Take the tray back to the kitchens and bring us a new one. It's as simple as that." The girl nodded keeping her head down. He cupped his hand under the girl's chin and gasped softly when he saw her blue eyes. It was Jessa's thief friend.

He knew that he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, the girl's friend had been arrested earlier that day. It was only logical that she was _in_ the summer palace (which was, ironically perhaps, being used for a winter betrothal party). However, how she had gotten stuck serving at the banquet was quite beyond his comprehension.

Lord Alden looked over at his daughter, confusion clearly written on his face. "But father," Jessa said, coming to her friend's rescue. "If you send her back, they're sure to punish her."

Seeing that Jessa was trying to get her friend out of a spot, he smiled at his daughter. "You're absolutely right, Jessa. Come with me, lass, we'll explain." He placed a hand on her back and felt her breathe a sigh, perhaps of relief. Together, the two walked towards the kitchen.

Alden noticed that a boy with dark hair was staring at them, his eyes practically bulging from his head. He was serving the ladies at the table where the king's niece sat.

Hayden turned to Min and the other ladies. "I apologize m'lady, but I must get back to the kitchens."

"But we have not been served," protested one of them.

"I know," he said, "and I am sorry, but I must go." He looked a Min desperately and she nodded. Hayden smiled at her and rushed back to the kitchens.

~*~

Ribyyn was unsure of whether she was more nervous before when she thought she was going to be discovered, or now after everything had happened. Alden accompanied her to the kitchens and the moment they entered the door he'd taken her over to a corner. He was currently kneeling in front of her, looking her straight in the eye.

"I believe you have a bit of explaining to do, miss," he said sternly, though not unkindly.

Ribyyn took a deep breath and let out the story of everything that had happened that day. She wasn't quite sure as to why she was telling this man everything. He was, after all, the head of the Royal Guard in Port Caynn, not to mention on good terms with the King of Tortall. But she felt it necessary that he know everything in order to get her out of this horrible spot she'd gotten herself into.

"And now Hayden and I are stuck serving and Darin's washing dishes and we'll never get out of here! Not with Darin, he's too recognizable. At least, we won't get out without help. Could you help us?"

"Ribyyn," he said. It did not surprise her that he knew exactly who she was. "I hate to say this, but there is nothing I can do about your situation-"

She interrupted him. "You don't need to do anything about Darin though! All we need is to get out of the palace. Surely you can do that!"

Alden gave her a skeptical look. It was at that moment that Hayden burst through the doors.

Hayden didn't even take a moment to analyze the situation. He immediately rushed over to the corner in which Alden and Ribyyn stood and put himself between the two of them. "If you so much as touch her," he began, but stopped when Ribyyn placed a hand over his mouth.

"Hayden," she said calmly. "That does not help. He wasn't going to do anything to me, leave be and continue serving." She shoved him towards the door and he exited sadly, as if he were a scolded puppy. Ribyyn could hear Darin laughing over by the sinks.

"Look," Alden said, "stay in here. Go help Darin clean the dishes. Do not, under any circumstances, attract attention to yourself. Keep a low profile. I will be back to get the three of you when the banquet is over."

"But who's going to serve your table?"

"I will ask for someone else. I'll tell the kitchen lady that the King made you nervous. That won't be too much of a lie, will it?" He smiled at her and stood up. Walking over the old woman, he spoke softly with her. She nodded and grimaced, her eyes shooting daggers at Ribyyn all the while. After a small argument Alden turned, winked at Ribyyn, and left.

The old woman walked up to the girl. "Stop staring, girl. Get an apron and clean those dishes! MARTHA," she cried, "I need a new server for the King's table!"

Ribyyn sighed and did as she was told. Joining Darin at the sink, she saw that he was shaking from withheld laughter. "What is it?" she snapped at him.

"Nothing," he said, trying to hide his smirk. It did no good; he let it all out and just laughed.

Ribyyn rolled her eyes and picked up a dirtied dish to wash.

**A/N**: Well, this is definitely my best chapter yet. I knew Lady Bryttany would come in handy. That was a long chapter too. I didn't know how to end it. The next chapter will start while they are still at the banquet I suppose, because Hayden still needs to find out about Min. R&R!


	13. Underneath the Surface

A/N: Okay, I will admit that Alden getting married was kind of sudden, but I needed a reason for the summer palace to be in use. So, a betrothal became the reason there was a feast/ball/banquet...and for the king to be there it had to be somebody important. Alden was the only pawn there was. And yes...Min is a noble. She surprised me just as much as she surprised you. **Penmage**: Min, herself, belongs to nobody...but her heart might belong to Hayden. :D **Temptress**: You obviously _are_ that unobservant :D And, King Jonathan IV's (Tammy's Jon) grandfather is Jasson (something). So that would make my Jonathan, Jon IV's great-great-great grandfather, AT LEAST (this is assuming that Jon I named his son Jon II, who named his son Jon III (who had Jasson, who had Roald, who had Jon IV). I don't know about you, but that'd make my life a bit confusing. Weirdo Royals. No wonder the thieves don't like them.) 

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 13 - Underneath the Surface_

Hayden reluctantly walked back to the table where Min and her lady friends sat. As he got closer he could hear their conversation. They were talking about him. He grimaced and walked right up to the table, beginning to serve the ladies that he had so rudely left hungry.

"So Min," said one lady, "Tell us how you happen to know such a _darling_ serving boy."

Another lady laughed. "Oh yes, _do _tell us, Minnie."

"Perhaps he's done her a few _favors,_ hmm?" suggested a third.

Together the three ladies laughed. Hayden turned red with embarrassment and horror. His shocked face gave away exactly what he was thinking.

"Oh my," said the first lady. "He seems disgusted by the very thought. Not very promising, Mindalyn."

"Mindalyn?" Hayden looked over at Min, his eyes questioning.

"Loralie, hush!" Min snapped at the lady.

"Yes," continued the third lady, speaking to Hayden. "Mindalyn of Conté, the king's niece."

"Tarra," Min moaned. "Please, be quiet."

Hayden chocked on the air he was breathing. "King's _niece_?" he cried in frustration. "You're the _king's niece_? First you're a noble, and now you're the king's niece. What's next? You're engaged to the Emperor of Carthak?"

"Not yet," Tarra explained. "But she was once engaged to a farm boy in the mountains."

"He wasn't a farm boy," Min snapped at the lady. "He came from a highly respected noble household."

Hayden turned to Min, his face full of anger and hurt. "The entire time you've known me you've been lying to me," he said softly, his voice low and angry.

"Hayden, please. Let me explain."

"No, I will not let you explain!" he cried out. "I don't care if I assumed things, you didn't bother to correct them. This is absolutely ridiculous." He turned around and marched back to the kitchens, brokenhearted. _Well this certainly goes to prove something_, he said to himself. _ Nobles are a bunch of __liars__._

He marched up to Ribyyn, tapped her on the shoulder, and handed her the tray he had carried back with him. "Take it," he snapped. "You go serve the ladies. I can't stand their idiotic chatter anymore."

Confused, Ribyyn accepted the tray and left the comforting and protective warmth of the kitchens, forgetting Lord Alden's warning about keeping a low profile. She sadly walked up to the table that Hayden had been serving, distributing the food that remained on the tray.

"Tell Hayds I'm sorry, alright?"

Ribyyn looked up at the girl who had spoken and met her bright brown eyes that held a hint of sadness. They looked so familiar; where had she seen them before?

"You'll tell him, won't you?" the lady insisted. Something in her voice must have set off a memory, because she suddenly knew where she had seen this girl before. It was up in Hadic years ago, a few months before the attack had happened.

_"ENGAGED!" Kalvin cried in outrage. "Father, I just turned sixteen!" Ribyyn watched her brother turn bright red in anger and covered up a smile with her hand._

_"A betrothal does not mean immediate marriage, Kal," their father said. "It simply means that you will-"_

_"One day be married," the boy said angrily. Ribyyn snickered and Kal glared at her. "I don't see anything funny about this. You're going to be related to the royal family. That means, balls, and gowns, and no more crawling through passageways." Kalvin knew about her hiding spots._

_She immediately stopped laughing, a thoughtful look on her face. "It would be nice to have a sister," she noted._

_Her brother threw his hands up in the air in an act of frustration. "Have you not heard a word I've said?" Kalvin asked her, forgetting that his father was in the room. "I'm betrothed to the king's bloody niece!"_

_"Kalvin!" Lord Jamison snapped at his son. "That is no way to speak of the Contés. The girl, Mindalyn, is a very nice girl. She's coming up to visit next week with her uncle. Ribyyn," the man said to his daughter. "You are to behave."_

The memory faded. "Excuse me," the lady was shaking her. "Are you alright?"

"Mindalyn," said Tarra, "You seem to be having this effect on all the servants tonight. Perhaps we should send you to your uncle's table." The rest of the ladies laughed at that.

The name sent Ribyyn into a state of greater shock than she was in before. "Mindalyn?" she whispered breathlessly. "You're the king's niece?" She didn't know why she was so surprised. She had though that the lady before her was the girl her brother had been betrothed to. Hearing her name only confirmed that Ribyyn had been correct.

Min grimaced, "What? Hayden didn't tell you yet?" When Ribyyn only blinked, the lady sighed. "Yes, I am the king's niece."

Ribyyn bit her lip and nodded, serving the girl her soup and moving on to the ladies that remained. However, with so many thoughts moving through her head, she had trouble paying attention.

"Unmannered brat!" one of the ladies shrieked at her when Ribyyn spilt the soup she was serving on the table. It flowed over the sides, landing in the lady's lap.

"Loralie," Min began, but was drowned out by the lady's screams.

"I'm sorry," Ribyyn apologized, ducking the spoon that flew at her head. "I'm so sorry!" She looked up to meet another pair of familiar eyes. The lady standing before her was Loralie of Stone Mountain.

The Stone Mountain family had visited Hadic many times. Loralie's father had been friends with Ribyyn's father since childhood, and when the two girls were little they had been great friends as well. However, as they got older Loralie began to gain an unbearable ego. She had developed early, at age ten, and considered herself a wonderful beauty. The last time the two girls had seen each other was right after Ribyyn's twelfth birthday. Loralie had developed a crush on Kalvin the year before, and could often be found with him in the library. Ribyyn had caught the two of them in there one day. They had been talking about her.

_"I'm so sorry you have to put up with her," Loralie said._

_Kalvin smirked, "Oh she's not that bad. You two used to be such wonderful friends. What happened?"_

_"Ugh," the twelve year old Loralie moaned. "I don't know how I was ever friends with her. She's unbearable. And so childish. Don't you agree? She's such a little nightmare."_

_Kalvin raised a brow in confusion. "That is my sister that you're talking about. Besides, she just turned twelve. She still is a child. And by the way, so are you."_

_Loralie frowned, got up, and left. Ribyyn, hiding behind the bookshelf, smiled to herself._

The commotion in the great hall drew the attention of everyone in the room as well as those in the kitchens. Hayden saw what was happening and rushed to defend his friend.

"You should be sorry!" the lady was screaming. "This dress was two hundred gold crowns!"

Hayden chose that moment to step in. "'Twas only an accident m'lady! "There's no need to be so angry."

Loralie scoffed. "That... That... GIRL just spilt soup all over me, and you insist that I shouldn't be angry?" By now everyone in the room was staring at the three of them. Ribyyn cowered behind Hayden, who stood as straight as he could.

"Lady, 'tis only some soup. She meant no harm. If you would only stop screaming and come to your senses, you'd realize it could be cleaned fairly easily." Hayden snapped at her.

The lady seemed shocked. "How dare you speak so to me!" she yelled at him snobbishly. "I am a lady from a noble household! You are nothing but a simpleminded sewer rat that snuck into the palace to steal some food.

Ribyyn looked up at Hayden's face. The words had hurt him, but he still had some fight left. Quite unexpectedly, Loralie turned to Ribyyn and began to throw insults at her. "And you," she cried. "You're -"

Ribyyn interrupted her. "I, Loralie of Stone Mountain, am more of a lady than you will ever be!" She stopped, realizing what she had said, and knew that it was too late to take her words back.

"I have been called many things in my life," Ribyyn hissed. "A fool, a brat, a tease, a whore." She spit out the words as if they were poison on her tongue. Her voice softened a little as she continued, "A lady, a child, a doll." She gave Hayden a sly look. "But one thing I have not been called is a coward. You insult me, you insult my friends, you insult my family. You have gone to far this time, Loralie."

Loralie had a look of confusion on her face. "Who are you?"

Ribyyn smiled at her maliciously. "I?" she said slowly. "I am Lady Ribyyn of Hadic. I am, 'a little nightmare,' would you not say?"

**A/N:** Dun dun dunnnn.... AHHHH! Cliffhanger! Don't worry, the next chapter is more than half done...I think. The cliffhanger idea was not my fault - it was all Temptress. Yell at her! :D Silly beta reader. ::laugh:: I know I keep promising you MUSH, but I mean c'mon! This is a climax! You can't have mush at a climax! It'd be so wrong! So yeah...mush later!


	14. The Naked Truth

A/N: Wow...those reviews really surprised me. I am soooo sorry I did that to you. Don't hate me **Keita**. Remember, it was Temptress. :D (J/K!) This is the last official chapter. There will be an epilogue. I have it all plotted out. And yes, **Keziah**, there will be a sequel. (I'd like to give you credit for the idea, but that would be wrong, b/c I thought of it 2 hours before I read your review. Ah, math class. Why I am so inspired in that class, I will never know.) There will be more mush in the sequel I suppose. And speaking of mush...you've been patiently waiting for it...

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Chapter 14 - The Naked Truth_

"Miss Glynice Alexzander?" asked the tall man standing in front of her. Glynice nodded, feeling detached from the rest of the world.

"We've been informed that you've been housing a young girl for about four years. A girl by the name of Ribyyn," said the guard. He held a piece of parchment in his hand and stood straight, an air of confidence surrounding him.

Glynice nodded again. "Yes, that is correct. Is something wrong? Is she hurt?"

"Oh, no. Not to worry, ma'am. She's being held up at the palace. I was sent down here by the king to fetch some papers."

"Being held?" Glynice panicked. Had Ribyyn and Hayden been found out? It was a good thing Slyde and Roank were no longer here; they would have thrown a fit hearing that news. "Whatever for?"

"It turns out she's some missing noble. She told the king that she had the birth papers and the papers to the fief at which she lived somewhere in this house. I've been sent to get them."

Glynice restrained herself from heaving a sigh of relief at that news. So nobody knew that the girl was a thief. And, it seemed, that Hayden was not in any trouble either. "I think I know where she keeps them," she said. "Stay right here, I'll bring them down."

It only took her a few moments to find the stack of grubby old papers. They were nearly unreadable they were so old and worn. She handed them over to the royal guard who folded them gently and stashed them away in his coat pocket.

"Thank you for your time, ma'am," the guard said politely. And with that, he turned around and took his leave. Glynice watched him go, wondering what exactly had happened up at the palace in the past three hours.

~*~

Ribyyn sat unhappily in a plush red chair, staring intently at her feet. She was alone in a room with the King of Tortall and one of the most respected lords in the realm. Alden of Goldenlake stood tall in a corner with his arms crossed. King Jonathan sat across from Ribyyn, a confused frown on his face.

A man dressed in servants clothing entered the room, "Your Majesty," he said. "The papers you requested."

"Ah, yes" Jonathan said. "Put them down over there, Gregory." He motioned to the corner of his desk. The servant put them down and then silently left the room.

The king reached forward and picked up the pack of ratty and torn papers. They were yellowed with age, and very filthy looking. Scanning them quickly, he saw that they were most definitely the ownership rights to Fief Hadic. Glancing at the second, he saw that it was the birth paper of Ribyyn of Hadic. The royal insignia was stamped onto both of them.

Sighing he handed them over to Alden, and watched the silent, sullen girl, as the lord of Goldenlake read through the documents.

Ribyyn's thoughts were elsewhere. After the scene she and Hayden had created, and her confession as to whom she really was, complete chaos had erupted. Somewhere in all the commotion, she had been dragged into this small room with the king and Lord Alden. The king had immediately demanded to know, "what the hell was going on." Ribyyn had no choice but to tell him. After all, orders were orders.

Alden handed the papers back to the king who looked over them a second time. "I must admit," he said after a while, "that I honestly thought I would never hear of a Hadic ever again. I was told by the troops that were there on border patrol that the entire family was dead." He paused, "Though they did say that the daughter wasn't found. We assumed that the raiders had taken you with them."

Ribyyn looked down. "They didn't," she said quietly. "I was hiding from my stepmother during the attack. I was able to escape through the passages." She swallowed hard, unsure of what to say next. She had never told anyone her story before; it was too painful.

"Well, I must say, I'm unsure of what to do in this situation. I can't let you continue to live with this family of yours, as wonderful as they are. You are the last surviving heir of a noble household from the Book of Gold, you need a husband. However, I'm positive that you will not enjoy court, seeing as how you do not know anyone."

"Sire," interrupted Lord Alden. He'd been quiet during the whole exchange. "I believe I may have a solution to the problem." The king nodded for him to continue. "My daughter, Jessalyn, is already acquainted with young Ribyyn here. It would be no trouble at all for us to take her in for a short time, I assure you. Plus, we will be returning to Corus for Midwinter in a week, and we will be staying there until after the wedding, in April. By that time Ribyyn should be quite comfortable in the palace."

The king turned to the young girl, the same age as his niece and heir, Mindalyn of Conte.* "Well, Ribyyn," the king asked. "How do you feel about this?"

Ribyyn continued to look at her feet. She didn't want to leave the Alexzanders. They were her new family. Did these nobles really expect her to just abandon them? Obviously they did, and since she was only seventeen, and a female on top of that, she really had no say in the matter at all. "I suppose that's fine with me, as long as I get to say goodbye first."

"Of course you can," the king said. He rose and clapped his hands together in finality, "Now, let us return to the festivities!"

~*~

The moment Ribyyn stepped out of the room, she was assaulted by Loralie of Stone Mountain. "I've decided," the lady said, "that you can't possibly be Ribyyn of Hadic, because Ribyyn is dead."

Ribyyn frowned and was about to argue this, but then smirked wryly, an idea forming in her mind. "But Loralie, I am dead."

The lady blinked in confusion. "But... You are?"

"Yes." Ribyyn's smirk turned into a grin. "Boo." Her grin widened when she saw the lady jump, and she let out a small chuckle. "You always were a bit dimwitted, Loralie. But I suppose it can't be helped." Glancing over Loralie's shoulder she spotted Jessa. "Excuse me," she said politely and walked past the lady and up to Jessa.

Jessa smiled widely at her. "My father just told me that you'll be staying with us in Corus for a while." Ribyyn nodded. "It should be fun," the girl continued, "We'll be like sisters for a time." She grinned happily, her eyes bright with excitement. Ribyyn only nodded again, unsure of what to say. If it was so exciting to be back in the world where she belonged, why did she feel so down?

The answer came to her when she spotted Darin standing silently by the kitchen door. Excusing herself, she walked over to him. "I'm going to Corus," she said quietly when she stood in front of him.

"You are?"

She sighed, "Yes. The king says that since I'm the only heir to Hadic that I need to find myself a suitable husband."

Darin's eyes lit up. "Who's the one deciding the suitability of this future husband of yours?"

"Probably the king or Lord Alden. Hadic's one of the first names in the Book of Gold. I think they've taken it upon themselves to look after me until they can find somebody else to do it." Ribyyn sighed. "I don't want to get married, Darin. I know I'm seventeen, and that it's the suitable age for it, but-" She stopped, a lump in her throat and her eyes about to overflow with tears.

"But you aren't ready for it," Darin finished for her. "Don't worry, I understand." He looked down at her, all hopes of ever being with her permanently had come crashing down when she'd mentioned the king picking the husband. And if he couldn't be married to her, well then he was in no hurry to see her married off.

"I think I'm going back to Corus soon too," he told her, trying to keep her mind off of an impending marriage. "I've been away too long, they've probably run rampant without me."

Ribyyn smiled up at him, "So that means I'll probably see you around?"

"I hope so," he said with a sly grin.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw that there was nobody watching the two of them. Grabbing his hand and pulling him through the kitchen doors, she scanned the room. It was empty.

Whirling around, she placed a hand on Darin's chest, shoving him against the wall. Standing on the tips of her toes, she placed her lips on his. Darin broke the kiss and stared down at Ribyyn, his eyes wide with shock. Suddenly, he chuckled.

"A bit desperate are we?" he asked with a smirk.

She scowled and punched his shoulder. Then she grabbed the collar of his shirt and brought his lips back down to hers.

~*~

Hayden stood on the balcony of the summer palace in the middle of winter. He was freezing, but he didn't really care; the cold numbed his wounded heart. (A/N: That was rather poetic). He told himself that he was sick of her. That he didn't care about her at all, so why should he be so angry? But if he didn't care, than why did all of this hurt so much? He heard footsteps behind him.

"Hayden," Min said quietly. "Hayden, are you mad at me?"

"Is there any reason for me not to be?" he snapped. "You lied to me, Min!" He turned towards her, his eyes full of hurt and held back tears. He wouldn't cry. He refused. It was unmanly, and if he cried he'd be acting like a child.

"I didn't mean to," she said softly. "I didn't expect for there to be anything between us. I didn't mean to bump into you on the street that day. It just happened." Hayden looked away and stared off into the distance. "I'm afraid there's more," she told him.

"What?" he asked, his voice bored.

"I'm the heir to the throne, as well."

Hayden snapped his head up and glared at her. "What?!?"

"I'm the heir-"

"I heard you the first time! What do you mean you're the heir?"

"I inherit the throne," she said dully, as if it were the most obvious thing she'd ever told anyone.

"I know that! But you're his niece, not his daughter."

"He doesn't have any children, and I'm the only surviving offspring of his siblings. I had a brother once, but he drowned when he was eight." Now it was her turn to take on a faraway look. "I was going to tell you who I was, honest. Every time I went into town to meet you, I promised myself that I was going to tell you. But every time I got there I just couldn't bring myself to do it." She turned to look at him again. "Please, don't be mad at me Hayden. I didn't mean to lie, and I never wanted to hurt you. Please, forgive me."

"Why does my friendship matter so much to you?" he asked. His eyes no longer glared at her. He was simply curious.

Min sighed and bit her lip. "I'm not sure," she said softly. "It just does. There's no real explanation for it." _Other than the fact that every time I see you, my stomach does flip flops._

His face took on it's familiar thoughtful look. Min could tell by now that he was acting, and a small smile played across her lips. Finally he heaved a great sigh, "Alright! If it means that much to you."

Min let out a girly squeal and threw her arms around his neck. Hayden straightened and glared at her. She glanced up at him sheepishly.

"Don't ever squeal again. If you do, I'm going to rethink this friendship thing."

Mindalyn grinned. "I really am sorry."

"I know," he said. He looked down at her, his bright green eyes meeting her brown ones. Her face was so close to his, only about an inch or two away. Suddenly he was compelled to close that small gap and kiss her. So he did.

At first she was surprised, but that only lasted for a few seconds. She recovered quickly, pulling him closer to her and tightening the grip her arms had around him.

He broke off and croaked, "Min, I can't breath."

She laughed happily. "Sorry," she said, and released him.

"You should go inside."

"Yes, I probably should." She stepped back hesitantly, her eyes staring into his. Quite suddenly she swore and came towards him again, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Meet me at the usual spot tomorrow?" she asked.

Hayden nodded. "Definitely."

**A/N:** ::sob:: Oh no! My baby's all grown up. ::wipes tear away:: Oh well! There's still an epilogue, and an impending sequel. HURRAH! R/R!

*King Jonathan I (According to Myles's Class) owned a harem of men, remember? Therefore, he's not married. It's surprising how accepting the country is of this. France was not nearly that accepting.


	15. Epilogue

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews y'all! **BraveSirRobin ran away**: J.K. Rowling syndrome...good lord! And to think it almost came to that! :D **To** **TBA (Min)**, **Temptress**, **Larzdinn **(YOU CAME BACK!), **Krizsta**, **cytosine** (everyone else wanted fluff, so I gave them fluff.) and everyone else...THANKS MUCHLY!

Now, for the epilogue... Very short. So sorry.

DISCLAIMER: I own the characters but Tortall and it's surrounding areas are owned by Tamora Pierce. 

**Lady Ribyyn of Hadic**

_Epilogue_

The sky was covered with dark foreboding clouds that threatened to open up to a great snowstorm at any moment. Ribyyn huddled under her cloak, attempting to warm up her cold face, ears, and neck. She was not entirely successful. She sighed, rubbed her arms, and stamped her feet, trying to get herself warm again.

"Cold darlin'?" asked Slyde who stood next to her. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him in an effort to warm her. The gesture was sweet, but didn't do much good.

"Would the two o' ye hurry up?" Slyde called out. "We're freezing our arses off out here for ye!"

Darin and Hayden walked out of the barn, trailing their horses behind them. "If ye're so bloody cold ye should put on something warmer," Hayden snapped back.

"Well I didn't expect t' be standin' out here fer this long."

"How long?" Ribyyn asked cheerfully, looking up at Slyde's head, or rather his chin. "Fifteen minutes?"

Slyde glanced down at her. "Shush, yer supposed t' be on my side." He raised a hand and tweaked her nose. "'Sides, we've been out here fer at least sixteen."

Hayden rolled his eyes at his older brother's antics. Slyde & Ribyyn certainly stole the show. There was quite a gathering of people standing outside to say goodbye to Hayden and the Thief King, yet the two of them were the center of attention. Hayden could tell because even Min was having trouble containing her laughter.

_Min_, Hayden thought to himself. If it weren't for Min he wouldn't be leaving, though he refused to admit that to anybody but Ribyyn. And Ribyyn only knew because she'd badgered him about it for hours after he'd declared early that week that he was going to go to Corus with Darin.

_"Why are you going?" she asked, her face full of curiosity._

_"Because I feel like it," he told her, his voice annoyed. Why wouldn't she stop **prying**?_

_"I don't believe you. There has to be more to it than that." She paused to think, "You're coming to spy on me aren't you? Slyde doesn't think that the Goldenlake's can take care of me like they should, doesn't he?"_

_"Yep," Hayden answered quickly, hoping to draw her away from the subject._

_Ribyyn raised her brow. "You agreed to that too quickly. There's something else." She sat down in Slyde's favorite chair. "I'm going to figure it out if it takes me all day," she told him._

And it had taken her all day. In the middle of the night she had come crashing into his room crying out, "I've got it!"

_"You're going because that's where Lady Mindalyn is going to be!"_

_Hayden sighed with defeat. "Wonderful, you've figured it out. Now let me go to sleep." He rolled over and pulled the quilt over his head._

_Ribyyn wouldn't let him give up that easily. She grabbed the quilt off his head and said, "Now you have to tell me why."_

_He sighed again and, for some odd reason, found himself telling her everything. And strangely enough, Ribyyn was silent the entire time. "There," he said when he finished, "Now you know. Can I go to sleep?"_

_Ribyyn slipped off his bed and Hayden slid back under the quilt. She reached the door and turned to him. "Hayden?" she asked._

_"Hm?"_

_"Do you think you love her? Lady Mindalyn?"_

_"Love? Gods, I don't know. I'm only eighteen, Rib. I don't know a thing about love."_

_"But just 'cause you don't know anything doesn't mean you can't be in it, right?"_

_"I don't know," he told her truthfully. Ribyyn took this to be the end of the conversation and left._

So here he was, leaving his home and his family and just about everything he'd ever known because he was enamored with the future Queen of Tortall. Though, he never thought for a moment that he was doing something wrong by acting so rashly, which was odd. He almost always had second thoughts about things.

Min was not the only noble there. Ribyyn's friend Jessa was there to say goodbye to Darin, who she'd come to like over the past few months. According to Ribyyn, the girl had developed a small crush on the Thief King for a short period of time. Hayden found this rather humorous.

Slyde's friend Roank was there. And last but not least, Hayden's mother, Glynice, was there as well.

Hayden realized he must have been involved in his thoughts for quite some time. Slyde had abandoned his position next to Ribyyn and had given it over to Darin, who had her wrapped in his arms in a tight hug.

Jessa pulled a face. "You two are disgusting!" she cried out. "Please stop! Before I lose my lunch!"

Darin seemed to think about stopping for a moment and then his face glowed as a sly grin spread across it. He dropped his hands to Ribyyn's waist, dipping her and placing his lips on hers in a façade of an overly passionate kiss.

Jessa rolled her eyes and made gagging noises.

"Alright!" Roank cried out, finally losing patience. "If th' two o' ye are leavin', get on with it! It's bloody cold out here, it's about t' storm, an' he's standin' here puttin' his tongue in th' mouth of a girl I've practically raised."

Ribyyn broke away from Darin and looked over at Roank. "But there isn't any tongue," she insisted.

"Sure there ain't." He turned to Hayden. "Are ye leavin' or what?"

'I'm going, I'm going," he said. He walked over to Min, gave her a tight hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you when you get back," he whispered in her ear. She nodded and smiled at him.

As he made his way over to his mother, he passed Jessa. Much to her disappointment, he ruffled her hair. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm not going to miss you at all!" she said, grinning.

"Hayden, get over here and give your mother a hug!" Glynice demanded. Hayden had no choice but to obey. He'd been doing it for years.

"I'm going to miss you, Ma," he told her.

"Of course you will," she said matter-of-factly. "And you're going to write every week or I'll know why."

Hayden sighed. "Yes, mother."

"Now," she said, "be a good boy and leave before I make you."

Her son grinned and mounted up onto his horse. Darin quickly did the same, and after a few more cries of, "Goodbye," and, "See you soon," the two young men were headed towards the city gates.

"I can't believe I'm actually leaving Port Caynn," Hayden commented. "I'm not sure who I should blame it on, Min, you, or Ribyyn."

"Ribyyn. It's always Ribyyn," Darin told him.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's in her name."

"What do you mean by that?"

Darin glanced over at Hayden. "She never told you?"

"Told me what?" asked the younger man.

"Her name?"

"There's more to it than just Ribyyn?"

Darin nodded. "Her full name is Ribyynthera. A nasty mouth full and nobody ever called her that."

"Ribyynthera?"

Darin grinned. "Thera means, 'unfettered, wild one.'"

"Well," Hayden chuckled, "that certainly explains a lot."

"It does, doesn't it? Ribyyn's an adventure all by herself, I'll tell you that."

Hayden smiled. "Is that a good thing?"

"You know," Darin said with a shake of his head as they rode out the gates of Port Caynn, "I've known Rib for most of her life, and I still haven't figured that out."

"Well, there's always the future."

"There certainly is," Darin said with a smile. "There certainly is."

**A/N**: THERE IT IS! Finally! All done. And now I can plot out my sequel. :D A bit of fluff here, a bit of cheese there, and all in all a nice epilogue. Sorry about grammar and spelling mistakes... Didn't feel like waiting to post, and therefore I did not send this to my beta-er. (Sorry Bryt!) Hope you liked it! R/R!


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